Diluted Medicine

A German doctor named Samuel Christian Hahnemann was dissatisfied with the medicines of his day. He lived in a day before the discovery of vaccines, the germ theory, and systematic medical testing. He is said to be the father of homeopathy medicines and developed the idea that if you diluted the basics of a disease then you could cure the disease in a person. As you can immagine, modern medical science rejects homeopathy as a viable treatment option.

But what caught my interest was the idea of diluting medicine. While I don’t pretend to understand all the science of medicines, I have discovered, on my own, that diluted medicines aren’t as effective as the full dose. I tried it once when I couldn’t afford my prescription, so I cut the medicine in half. Yeah, oh well, back to the drawing board.

So, if diluted medicines don’t really heal our physical diseases, why do we suppose that diluted spiritual “medicines” will heal our inner lives? Things that make you go “Hmmm.”

Look at our Gospel Lesson today in Matthew 5:14-19:

The Lord said to his disciples, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

Jesus makes it clear that His faithful followers will be the light of the world. They will be a “city set on a hill that cannot be hid.” Notice, He doesn’t say we should try to be the light of the world or a city that can’t be hid. He simply declares that His true followers “will BE” this obvious to the whole world.

And this insight, this reality, flows from His clear wisdom He declares when He says that He hasn’t come to destroy the law and the prophets, to destroy the past, but to fulfill them!

You see, your fidelity to the wisdom of the faith that transcends time and space, your active participation in the Life of the Faith MAKES YOU the light of the world. This active participation in regular liturgies, daily prayers, generous giving, and willingness to share this faith with others sets you free to be what Christ says you are: The Light of the world. And this very purposeful Orthodoxy is the spiritual medicine at full potency and not the diluted “medicine” that simply makes other immune to the fullness of the faith.

Today, have you ever wondered why some find it so easy to abandon the Orthodox Church? Could it be that they have been “inoculated” by a diluted witness of the Faith? How sad that we insist on potent medicines for our physical ailments but accept watered down “medicines” for our souls. No wonder we grieve when our children make choices that cause them to drift further from the Faith we’ve known our whole lives. And yet, all is not lost. No, we can, and must, abandon the diluted witness of a Faith used more as a cultural decoration rather than the center of our very existence. We must be willing to go to Him Who offers us the full potency of wisdom, faith, and love to “become by grace what Christ is by nature.” Will you join me today in daring to be Orthodox on Purpose and watch as this “Light of the World” calls wounded people to the only “city” where they can get medicine for their lives that truly makes us well?

P.S. All this week we are asking your help in enabling us to get our Video Project off the ground. Our initial funding goal is $5000 and we are very close! This will allow us to shoot a demo video and will (prayerfully) launch the rest of the project. We want to create a tool that will help folks who know little to nothing about Orthodoxy to learn about the Faith AND we want to help our faithful Orthodox to learn how to share this faith with others. Would you help us? Go to our Orthodoxy 101 Page to learn more and give. Thank you!