Gregory of Nazianzus: Mercy

For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings. Hosea 6:6

“Let us visit Christ wherever we may be. Let us care for Him, feed Him, clothe Him, welcome Him, honor Him – not only at a meal, as some have done, or by anointing Him, as Mary did, not only by lending him a tomb, like Joseph of Arimathea did, or by arranging for His burial, like Nicodemus, not only by giving Him gold, frankincense and myrrh, like the Magi did before all the others. The Lord of all asks for mercy and sacrifice, and mercy is greater… Let us then show Him mercy in the persons of the poor and those who today are lying on the ground, so that when we come to leave this world, we may be received into an everlasting dwelling place, by Christ our Lord. Amen.”

Gregory of Nazianzus (329-391) in Roman Pilgrimage: The Station Churches.

How we treat the poor has eternal implications.

A lot of people don’t realize that. How we treat those undeserving of our aid shows whether or not we understand the mercy that has been extended to each of us.

Our retreat has been an indescribable success in Istanbul.

Workers from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Armenia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Angola, Kenya, and Nepal want to collaborate to multiply stewards and set up peer accountability groups in their countries.

Want to help those in countries needing mercy?

Through this retreat in Turkey, GTP has identified country coordinators. Your gifts here help us translate resources and do program work to shape the future in these place.

Or in plain terms, your sacrifice shows mercy to those who need it.

Don’t close this email, please. Gregory says, “Visit Christ wherever He may be.” Don’t hold on to resources. Put them to work while you have time and opportunity to show mercy.

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Colossians 3:2-4

“Let us not esteem worldly prosperity or adversity as things real or of any moment, but let us live elsewhere, and raise all our attention to Heaven; esteeming sin as the only true evil, and nothing truly good, but virtue which unites us to God.”

Gregory of Nazianzus (329-391) in The Voice of the Saints: Counsels from the Saints to Bring Comfort and Guidance in Daily Living by Francis W. Johnston (Tan Books, 2003).

I am having a heavenly time with this group of influencers from Nepal, Pakistan, Angola, Kenya, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Bulgaria, Turkey, Armenia, and the Philippines.

Their receptivity coupled with their connectivity in their countries will open the door to program work in largely closed places. With invitations and visas we can collaborate.

And yesterday we went to the room pictured above, Hagia Irene (older than Hagia Sophia) where 152 servants of God edited the Nicene Creed which has shaped the Church ever since.

We read the creed together and talked about the impact of that small group and the impact each of us can have. They pathway for doing this is not to live elsewhere.

What about you? Are you settled comfortably in the world? What will happen when you realize your stay here is short? Does your use of money connect to the earthly or the eternal?

If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you. Leviticus 25:35

“You, however, look at the primitive equality, not at the later distinction, not at the law of the powerful, but at the law of the Creator. Help, as much as you can, nature; honor the primitive freedom; respect yourself; cover the dishonor of your family; assist those who are sick and aid those who are needy.”

Gregory of Nazianzus in On the Love for the Poor in Social Thought, ed. Peter C. Phan, Message of the Fathers of the Church, vol. 20 (Wilmington, DE: Michael Glazier) 26.

Today’s training, as I stated yesterday, is one like no other.

I am teaching and facilitating a replicable training with influencers from Nepal, Pakistan, Angola, Kenya, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Bulgaria, Turkey, Armenia, and the Philippines over the next two days.

Our opening dinner last night went great. Pray for us.

And today’s post has relevance in light of this ethnic diversity. We are one in Christ. And we share the same primitive equality. When we set aside distinction and power, we discover there is no difference between any of us.

At that moment we realize our role to help, honor, and assist.

Who do you know that society says is not worthy of help, who cannot make it on their own, or who has fallen on hard times? What if you looked at the primitive equality? You would find no difference. From that place, deliver help, restore honor, and assist as needed…generously.

And pray for our group as we visit this room (pictured above) where five articles were added by 152 humble servants in A.D. 381 giving us the Nicene Creed that we embrace today.

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

“We were made for good works to the glory and praise of our Maker, and to imitate God as far as might be.”

Gregory of Nazianzus (329-390) in Nicene & Post-Nicene Series 2 Vol 7, ed. Philip Schaff (1980) 354.

Since I stood in the room (Hagia Irene, pictured above) where the first Council of Constantinople added five articles to the Nicene Creed in A.D. 381, I hav been moved to read the works of Gregory of Nazianzus who was part of that meeting.

Today he calls us to imitate God as we are able. What would that look like for you in relationship to those around you? God made you for good works that praise your Maker. Are you doing them? Do people see God through your generosity?

The World Evangelical Alliance conference has drawn to a close with remarkable fruits. The evangelical alliances in countries like Albania, Qatar, Malaysia, Bangladesh, and Ireland are eager to set up peer accountability groups (like ECFA in USA). No kidding.

Now I pivot to hosting a group of influencers for onsite program work in Istanbul. Pray for Ruthie Cristobal and me as we teach and train 9 influencers from Nepal, Pakistan, Angola, Kenya, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Bulgaria, and Armenia the next two days. Thanks.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31

“May God preserve me from being rich while they are indigent, from enjoying robust health if I do not try to cure their diseases, from eating good food, clothing myself well and resting in my home if I do not share with them a piece of my bread and give them, in the measure of my abilities, part of my clothes and if I do not welcome them into my home.”

Gregory of Nazianzus in On the Love for the Poor in Social Thought, ed. Peter C. Phan, Message of the Fathers of the Church, vol. 20 (Wilmington, DE: Michael Glazier) 19.

Since I stood in the room (Hagia Irene, pictured above) where the first Council of Constantinople added five articles to the Nicene Creed in A.D. 381, it got me thinking.

As I stated the last two days, I decided to research who was in the room and review any extant writings from Council participants.

This led me to explore Gregory of Nazianzus. He was there, and he gives us the next few posts. Today he offers us this prayer from his classic work, On the Love for the Poor.

We must think keenly about the implications of this. Gregory basically spells out what it means to love our neighbor. It means to care for them as we care for ourselves.

What would your life look like if you cared for someone in need this next month as you cared for yourself? What would change in your spending? And in your giving?

Pray the prayer again and then ask the Holy Spirit to guide your steps.

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. Romans 13:8

“We must, then, open the doors to all the poor and all those who are victims of disasters, whatever the causes may be, since we have been told to rejoice with those who rejoice and to weep with those who weep. And since we are human beings, we must pay our debt of goodness to our fellow human beings, whatever the cause of their plight: orphanhood, exile, cruelty of the master, rashness of those who govern, inhumanity of tax-collectors, brutality of blood-thirsty bandits, greediness of thieves, confiscation, or shipwreck.”

Gregory of Nazianzus in On the Love for the Poor in Social Thought, ed. Peter C. Phan, Message of the Fathers of the Church, vol. 20 (Wilmington, DE: Michael Glazier) 6.

As I stated yesterday, I’ve have tabled research for the foreseeable future and shifted to researching quotes from saints through the centuries on generosity. Since I stood in the room (Hagia Irene, pictured above) where the first Council of Constantinople added five articles to the Nicene Creed in A.D. 381, it got me thinking.

I decided to research who was in the room and review any extant writings from Council participants. This led me to explore Gregory of Nazianzus. He was there, and he gives us the next few posts. Today he inspires us to consider our “debt of goodness to our fellow human beings.”

The line that struck me was “whatever the cost of their plight.” As times have not changed, and our world seems to be crumbling around us, let us resolve to consider who we can help and how we might help them. Message me if you want to pay your debt to goodness and support GTP efforts serving workers in the hardest places.

Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.” 2 Kings 4:2

“Give something, however small, to the one in need. For it is not small to one who has nothing. Neither is it small to God, if we have given what we could.”

Gregory of Nazianzus (329-390 in 365 Days with the Saints: A Year of Wisdom from the Saints, compiled by Carol Kelly-Gangi (Author) (New York: Wellfleet, 2015) 2.

I’ve decided to table research for a while and go back to researching quotes from saints through the centuries on generosity. Since I stood in the room (Hagia Irene, pictured above) where the first Council of Constantinople added five articles to the Nicene Creed, it got me thinking.

I want to research who was in the room and review any extant writings from Council participants. This led me to explore Gregory of Nazianzus. He was there, and he gives us today’s post! God wants all of us to give what we can. He can use it. He can multiply it. He only wants us to make it available for His purposes and glory.

Let me illustrate this in real-time. I’ve been praying on and off for the last few hours for Annie Robin, GTP Country Coordinator for Pakistan, and her team. Their women’s ministry in Lahore took up a collection for persecuted Christians in Jaranwala. You may have seen images of this situation in the world news.

She and her team hired a driver and took a collection to bless ten Christian families who have suffered great loss during these difficult days. Though they don’t have what many would describe as great wealth, they set a goal and rallied generous sharing, and gave what they had. It made a difference in the lives of those they served.

Soon I will get the whole story from her, but the good news is that their mission was successful. What do you have in your house, like Elisha asked the widow? Or a position of authority like Annie to inspire others to take up a collection? Do you have resources to contribute to someone with nothing?

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31

“Research suggests that there are a number of demographic and geographical factors that influence generosity. These include aspects like regional levels of trust as well as aspects that might not normally be thought of as impacting generosity, such as city size and diversity… Studies have found that people in rural environments exhibit more prosocial behaviors. A meta-analysis of 65 experiments found that people who lived in rural areas engaged in more helping behaviors compared to those who lived in urban areas, and another study of people who were raised in rural or urban China found that individuals raised in rural environments were more generous to strangers and distant acquaintances.”

Summer Allen in “The Science of Generosity” White Paper produced by the Greater Good Science Center.

I arrived safely in Istanbul. I will interact with people from all over the world at the World Evangelical Alliance conference from 8-12 October 2023. Here’s the link to the event.

I’m basically giving a TED talk on “A biblical basis of governance stewardship accountability with real-life practice.” Reply to this email if you want a copy of my slide deck.

On the day before the conference began my GTP colleagues and I took time to visit Hagia Irene. Everybody talks up Hagia Sophia, which was great, but the experience is somewhat anticlimactic as it has been converted to a mosque.

Hagia Irene is a lesser known church and the site where 152 bishops gathered for the Second Council of the early church to add five article to sharpen the Nicene Creed in A.D. 381. See the sacred hall where it happened above.

As I continue digging in this goldmine of research, my exploration has come to look at demographic and geographical factors. It seems the more concentrated the people (urban versus rural) the less generous we become.

It makes sense. The more crowded things become, the more we might be prone to keep to ourselves and forget the most basic injunction of Jesus: to love God and love our neighbor.

What does this look like where you live? How does your context influence your generosity? 

Jenni and I moved into a neighborhood with many young families. She’s getting to know many of them while walking our dog, Grace. Most have small children or are expecting new arrivals.

As I notice these realities, it inspires me to think how can might influence the faith of these families through our love, interaction, and generosity.

Ponder how your demographic and geographical factors setting might influence your generosity and determine what God might have you do where He has planted you.

He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand? For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.” “Consider carefully what you hear,” He continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.” Mark 4:21-25

“A meta-analysis of 98 studies looking at the social outcomes of video game content found that “[w]hereas violent video games increase aggression and aggression-related variables and decrease prosocial outcomes, prosocial video games have the opposite effects.” In particular, studies have found that playing prosocial video games increased prosocial thoughts, increased interpersonal empathy, and decreased feelings of pleasure at another person’s misfortune in lab experiments.

These findings suggest that video game content may have consequences on how players treat other people—both in positive and negative ways. In fact, researchers have suggested that video games could potentially be a useful tool for increasing helping behaviors in children, particularly in teens.

Playing is almost ubiquitous among teens (a 2007 survey found that 97 percent of American teens play video games), and the video game format—which exposes players to modeling, rehearsal, and reinforcement—offers “excellent conditions for learning to occur.” Of course, that all depends on teens being willing to play prosocial games in the first place (at least when not assigned to do so in an experiment).”

Summer Allen in “The Science of Generosity” White Paper produced by the Greater Good Science Center.

When this posts I will have arrived safely in Istanbul for the WEA Forum which starts tomorrow. Click to see the program and presenters. Appreciate your prayers for a great event.

And honestly, I never thought I’d write a generosity post about video games. But then again, the research is both stunning and unavoidable.

If 97 percent of youth are playing games, and if games can shape them toward either aggression or prosocial behavior, we must consider the implications of this for the youth in our lives.

Today’s Scripture beckons us to “consider carefully what we hear” because if we partake of unhealthy things, we will reap the related impact.

And such choices will cause us to loose whatever gains we had in character or spiritual growth. We are either growing closer to God or away from Him. It’s not static.

So, in light of this research, let us encourage our kids to play prosocial games. And while I am the last person to recommend any, I am confident a good search will bear fruit.

Praise Him with timbrel and dancing, praise Him with the strings and pipe. Psalm 150:4

“Besides listening to prosocial music, several studies suggest that jointly making, listening to, or dancing to music with others can boost prosocial behavior. In one study, four-year-old children behaved more cooperatively and prosocially after joint music making than did children who were engaged in another activity with similar levels of social and linguistic interaction.”

Summer Allen in “The Science of Generosity” White Paper produced by the Greater Good Science Center.

I am thinking musicians out there knew this to be true but it’s fresh research to me. Music coupled with dancing increased prosocial and generous behavior in kids.

Perhaps it works for children of all ages. It inspires me to urge readers to worship God in music and dance as the Spirit leads, and couple that with worship in the form of generous giving.

I just exchanged messages with a Christian worker in Pakistan. After their singing and dancing they decided to take up and offering for Christians suffering loss and persecution.

GTP hopes to go serve workers there in February 2024. In the meantime, turn up the music, dance, and consider whom God wants you to bless today through your giving.

And pray for my safe arrival to Istanbul, Turkey. More on the World Evangelical Alliance conference here in the days to come.