On the Side of Their Oppressors There is Power

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home › resources › literature › On the Side of Their Oppressors There is Power

Keraza Magazine issue 29-30 July 29, 2016

Feelings of ineptness and distress are heightened when a person senses a loss of control over fate. Any threat touching upon man’s essential needs –threat to life, safety, sustenance, and shelter engenders in him the highest degree of anxiety and tension. This tension is heightened when the threat comes from an arrogant authority whose heart knows no compassion, neither does the fear of God find a place in his conscience, neither can a logical humanitarian dialogue reach his ears. The oppression one meets from oppressors is a tyrannical oppression that does not relent or soften. How can it relent, when it comes from hearts that only beat evil and hatred?!

Those who keep track of and analyze the latest news, might see that the murders, tortures, abductions, and exhibitions that the Copts suffer these days all fall under the category of oppression, and consequently, expect them to react on their feelings of oppression, either in the subservience of the broken or the rebellion of the injured. Yet, the true Christian, to whom the world dies every day, and he to the world, and who knows Christ and the power of His resurrection, imitating His death all along his life, oppression can never weigh down his nerves, feelings, or thoughts, or on his identity which is truly renewed in the image of its creator, Christ the Lord. He pursues one of the most important laws of the kingdom: "Even those who have wives should be as though they had none, those who weep as though they did not weep, those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, those who buy as though they did not possess, and those who use this world as not misusing it. For the form of this world is passing away" (1 Corinthians 7:29-31). Not taking security from the vanity of this passing world, this one will never be shaken when the oppressors take away these vain objects, as if subjugating him. Stealing money, possessions, dignity, honor, and distinction, even life itself is to Christians nothing but gain. If this were not so, the oppression of the mob would have won St. Mark who was dragged through the streets of Alexandria, the beastly seven years of torture would have shaken St. George’s heavenly identity, and the harshness of three years of torture would have quenched the flame of St. Demiana’s love for her heavenly bridegroom.

As for those walking along the path of Rachel, crying over the church, refusing to be comforted over her children, because they are no more, let them prevent their voices from crying out and their eyes from tearing. Let them stand upright and lift up their heads, for their salvation draws near. Let them know that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, and let them lift up their eyes and see the fields white for harvesting.

Do not fear, Oh trust of Christ, who dwell among wolves, because if we are not faithful, the Good Shepherd remains faithful, He cannot deny Himself, handing over to the beast the soul of His dove. If this is the time to gather the wheat into God’s storehouses, let us rejoice, jubilate, and lift up our heads, because this means it is also time to gather up the tares and bundle them to be burned.

Bishop Youssef
Bishop, Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States