Motion

 

Motion, in a human body, is an evidence of life.

 

Within it, blood moves, breath moves (in and

out), body systems move, heart moves as it beats…

When a human dies, and so when an animal dies,

its motion stops, and they say about it that it became

a dead still body, with no motion in it…

But motion provides activeness, energy and

liveliness…

When good created the celestial bodies, he

placed the element of motion in them:

Earth revolves around itself once a day resulting

in the day and the night. And it revolves around the

Sun once a year resulting in the four seasons.

And so do plants and stars: they move and

revolve… And astronomers monitor their movements.

And they monitor the moon movement to see its

faces during the month.

The Plant also moves: its roots move inside the

land, and its branches move outside of it. While

moving it grows and its stalk grows upwards and gets

taller. And its branches carry fruits, leaves or flowers.

􀀿 􀀿 􀀿

The person who does not move becomes

lazy. And if he totally stops moving he becomes

paralyzed.

That is why a person likes for his body to move,

even if it was through sports, maybe through

swimming in waters or walking on the ground to

activate that body and strengthen it. And then a

person practices continuous movement.

How beautiful is the proverb that says: “There is

a blessing in movement”.

􀀿 􀀿 􀀿

And the spiritual life requires movement

without stopping.

The servant or the priest is supposed to move in

every area of his service. And if he did not have

enough movement as he is supposed to, he becomes

a burden on the church he follows…

Even the monk, if he was in solidarity life or in

solitude he must be moving towards God, and if he

was in service he must be moving towards people…

􀀿 􀀿 􀀿

It was said about the Lord Christ himself

that He was: “Jesus went about all the cities and

villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the

gospel of the Kingdom, and healing every sickness

and every disease among the people” (Mt 9:35) (Mt

4:23).

It was also said about Him that He went about

doing good (Act 10:38).

He ordered His disciples to move in the same

area.

He said to them: “Go into all the world and

preach the gospel to every creature” (Mk 16:15) and

also told them: “Go therefore and make disciples of

all the nations, baptizing them… teaching them to

observe all things that I have commanded you” (Mt

28:19, 20).

And that what the disciples did “Their line has

gone out through all the earth, and their words to the

end of the world.” (Ps 19:4). And they delivered His

message to all…

􀀿 􀀿 􀀿

And this applies to every servant. If he was

active, he is in a constant movement. And the whole

service becomes like a beehive. This makes everyone

feel the life and heat that stirs in the church: a series

of meetings, gatherings and conventions, teaching

and preaching that leads to confession and taking

communion and fasts and prayers… This all goes hand

in hand with activities and visiting and checking on

everyone. This all fills the church of God’s lovers…

The social life is a movement towards the others

and the spiritual life is a movement towards God.

􀀿 􀀿 􀀿

Repentance is also a movement inside the

heart to renew life and a movement towards the

church to confess and get communion. In that

all, there is a movement to reconcile with God.

When the heart of the Lost Son moved inside him,

he did not stood still where he was but he said “I will

arise and go to my father…” (Lk 15:18). And the

virgin in the Song of Solomon said to the Lord, her

shepherd “Draw me away! We will run after you” (Sgs

1:4).

So the Lord attracts; and this is a movement by

the grace, followed by a movement of response from

the human heart, so it repents and tries to grow

spiritually.

􀀿 􀀿 􀀿

Spiritual Growth is a positive color of

movement.

St Paul the Apostle says: “Forgetting those things

which are behind and reaching forward to those

things which are ahead” (Phil 3:13). Meaning: forget

the many spiritual levels that you have accomplished

and reach forward to other levels ahead… Do not

stand still at a certain level…

If any of you is not spiritually growing then he

lacks movement to reach forward to what is ahead…

The apostle even says more than that; he says:

“Run in such a way that you may obtain it”

(1 Co 9:24). And this is a higher stage.

Concerning that, one of the spiritual writers says

“Run on the way. And if you cannot run, walk. And if

you cannot walk, crawl. But beware of stopping.”

Stopping in the spiritual life brings weakness to it;

so always be in motion.

􀀿 􀀿 􀀿

In every item of the spiritual life items,

reach forward to what is ahead.

In prayer, fasting, spiritual readings, meditation,

and in repentance… Don’t stand at a certain level, try

9

towards Heaven or towards Hell, according to its

condition and circumstances…

The resurrection (rising of the dead) is also

a movement.

Spirits move from where they reside to reunite

with bodies.

Then bodies move and stand before the Judgment

seat of Christ to give account for the things they did

whether good or bad (2 Co 5:10).

􀀿 􀀿 􀀿

The Lord Christ was in constant movement during

his incarnation on Earth. And even after he received

death, His spirit moved united with divinity and

descended into the lower parts of the earth and led

captivity captive (Eph 4:9, 8). The Lord led the spirits

of those who have fallen asleep in hope, ascended

them, open the Heaven gate for them and allowed

them in. And with another move His spirit came back

to his body, reunited with It, He rose and came out of

the closed grave.

􀀿 􀀿 􀀿

And on the Last Day people will move and with

them will move books in which everything they did

when they were alive is written. And as St John the

Divine said:

“And I saw the dead, small and great, standing

before God, and books were opened. And another

book was opened, which is the book of life. And the

dead were judged according to their works, by the

things which were written in the books” (Rev 20:12).

􀀿 􀀿 􀀿

My brothers, I want you to move towards

good in your private life.

I want you to move to help others and save them

in the service environment.

Because there will come a day on which you will

move towards God’s Kingdom. And then, what have

you done?

One is supposed to be always moving and saying:

Lord I am with you.

Our hearts should be moving towards God with

Love, spiritual heat and longing to God and his

Kingdom…

The church should be moving towards preaching

and teaching, especially towards those who do not

know the Lord till now and are not committed to Him.

Sometimes I look to the East: China and Japan,

and I ask myself where is the map of faith over

there? And what type of movement does the church

have towards these people?