Their Wings Spread Out Straight, One Toward Another

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Keraza Magazine issue 27-28, July 14, 2017

In the beginning of Ezekiel's call to the work of prophesy, heavens were opened and he saw the throne of God carried upon four living creatures who were the Cherubim. Among what he saw, he saw that every one of these four creatures had four wings and "Their wings touched one another" (Ezekiel 1:9); "Their wings stretched upward; two wings of each one touched one another, and two covered their bodies" (Ezekiel 1:11); "And under the firmament their wings spread out straight, one toward another" (Ezekiel 1:23). This firmament carries the throne of God. Therefore, in order for these four living creatures to carry the throne of God, they had to spread out their wings one toward another in a straight way.

The church is God's house and throne. She is also the congregation of the believers who form the mystical body of Christ. And as the Cherubim ought to spread their wings in a straight way one toward the other to be able to carry the throne of God, the church members also must "touch one another" but in a straight way.

Absence of straightness is one of the spiritual illnesses prevailing nowadays among God's people. Therefore, God finds no place to dwell and to affirm His throne in His children's hearts. Manipulation and deceitfulness are in fact characteristics of the devil, "Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made" (Genesis 3:1). On the other side, straightness is one of God's attributes as it was said about Him, "with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning" (James 1:17).

Straightness, in its origin, is a straightness of the heart. Nevertheless, it must be translated into straightness of conduct and of speech. Hypocrite people, who have double tongues, "They delight in lies; They bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly" (Psalms 62:4). Manipulation and turning characterize many people "But who can find a faithful man?" (Proverbs 20:6). Whoever turns and manipulates a lot is motivated either by fear, flatter, desire to please others, reluctance to give testimony to the truth, or a desire to obtain some gains. All these motives, among others, are the motives of the old man in whom true love cannot find place. On the other hand, the Holy Spirit gives testimony to the straight soul saying, "This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it" (Psalms 132:14).

The fruit of uprightness is sweet. It guides those who acquire it, "The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them" (Proverbs 11:3). It brings blessing upon them; "The house of the wicked will be overthrown, but the tent of the upright will flourish" (Proverbs 14:11). It leads them to inherit the kingdom of heaven, "For the upright will dwell in the land" (Proverbs 2:21), and to enter to God's presence, "The upright shall dwell in Your presence" (Psalms 140:13). Also, the Lord accepts their prayers, "But the prayer of the upright is His delight" (Proverbs 15:8), gives them true enlightenment, "Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness" (Psalms 112:4), and saves them, "My defense is of God, Who saves the upright in heart" (Psalms 7:10). Added to this, the blessing does not come upon the upright only but it also expands to all those who surround him, "By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted, but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked" (Proverbs 11:11).

May the Lord grant us to get rid of all crookedness and malice so that we may stretch out the wings of uprightness toward each other, like the Cherubim. Hence, the Lord finds a dwelling within us.

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