… there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever.” (Revelation 11:15)
The Church is the sacrament of the Kingdom – not because she possesses divinely instituted acts called ‘sacraments,’ but because first of all she is the possibility given to man to see in and through this world the ‘world to come,’ to see and to ‘live’ it in Christ. It is only when in the darkness of this world we discern that Christ has already ‘filled all things with himself’ that these things, whatever they may be, are revealed and given to us full of meaning and beauty. A Christian is the one who, wherever he looks, finds Christ and rejoices in Him. And this joy transforms all his human plans and programs, decisions and actions, making all his mission the sacrament of the world’s return to Him who is the life of the world. (Alexander Schmemann, FOR THE LIFE OF THE WORLD, p 113)
Here are a few of my thoughts as I reflect on the inspired words of Fr Alexander:
1] While the Church is known for transfiguring the world in the Sacraments, there are also times when the Church enables us to see (despite the darkness of the world) “the world to come.” When not being transformative, the Church makes things transparent – a window into the kingdom, or makes the kingdom visible in and through this world. In Christ we begin to see everything as a gift from God, we see God being revealed through everything. This is the end of the sharp distinction between the sacred and profane. In Christ, in the Church, everything is again revealed as created by God and a means for us to encounter our Creator. In Christ we can see the goodness and holiness in each thing in creation.
2] The most profound thing is that we have to first experience the darkness of this world before we begin to realize Christ has already filled all things with Himself. Christ makes everything in creation as a way for us to see Christ and His Kingdom. We first see things as they are in the world (dark) and then realize that now in Christ, He can shine through all the darkness. In the Church, nothing can blind us to God, nothing in the world can hide our Creator.
3] A Christian is anyone who sees Christ in everything and everyone and is able to rejoice in this omnipresent Christ and celebrates Christ in everything. The Christian is enlightened and illuminated. It is not those who follow every tiny ascetical rule who fill this definition of being a Christian, but rather those who are able to see Christ in everyone else and in everything in this fallen world who are Christ’s true disciples. Those who are filled with joy at seeing Christ in everyone are the true Christians.
The Church’s role in the world is to do what God commissioned Saul to do for all people: “to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me” (Acts 26:18).
Fraternized 