Posted by Rachel on: 08.21.2007 /
“‘Give Thou bread’—that is to say, let me have food through just labor. For if God is justice, anyone who procures food for themselves through covetousness cannot have his bread from God. You are the master of your prayer if your abundance does not come from another’s property and is not the result of somebody else’s tears; if no one is hungry or distressed because you are fully satisfied. For the bread of God is, above all, the fruit of justice.”
- St. Gregory of Nyssa, 4th Century Bishop
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Comment by: Meg
1 08/22/07 12:05 AM | Comment Link |WOW, what a lovely quote Rachel!
Makes me concerned to be living in a country - the USofA - where our bread (and our oil) are the result of somebody elses tears, blood and unjust treatment…
Is there anywhere in the world today where we COULD truly fulfill St Gregory’s ideal? Where there isn;t some inherent injustice to be supported simply by being part of the system? Or is there a way of living in the countries at war with Iraq and somehow fulfilling St Gregory’s beautiful vision of our lives being in no way harmful to others. It’s a bit like the Wiccan Rede - An it harm none, do what thou will,” or the Ordo Templi Orientalis - “Do what thou wilt is the whole of the Law. Love is the Law; Love under Will”.
Comment by: Rachel
2 08/23/07 9:09 AM | Comment Link |I’m fascinated by St. Gregory’s reference to the Lord’s Prayer. I say that prayer almost every day but I had never really thought of it that way. “Give us this day our daily bread.” We know that God wants workers to be paid fairly for their labor. (And he gets super ticked off if they aren’t - reference James 5.) So if my food comes through injustice, it doesn’t come from God. Wow.
That’s such a tough question, Meg. I think there are people out there who live so far off the grid that they really do fulfill that ideal. But for those of us who live “inside the system,” it seems the best thing to do is focus on making small but significant changes, step by step. I can look for more ways to reduce and reuse and conserve and buy fair trade, local, organic, secondhand, etc. I think that the tough thing is to find the balance between feeling guilty all the time because it’s not good enough vs. simply throwing up our hands and saying “screw it, it’s not possible!”