a bishop’s plea to christians to actually live the gospel message, beyond religiosity, especially when it’s hard

One of the fundamental problems of modern christianity is that it often becomes a religion of believing and belonging, rather than a religion of transformation. The way it’s meant to be lived. The following bishops statement is written with this in mind…

“My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

In recent days, I have been thinking often of the words of St. Paul: “Carry one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal 6:2). There is a depth in that command that we often overlook. We see only fragments of each other’s lives, yet every soul carries wounds that are known fully only to God. Some suffer visibly, others silently. Some appear strong yet tremble inside. If we knew the hidden battles of the person beside us, how swiftly our impatience would soften into mercy.

The Lord is placing a simple question before us: Will you choose kindness even when you do not know the whole story? Christ Himself meets us in those moments. Remember His words: “Whatever you did for the least of these, you did for Me” (Mt 25:40). He does not test our eloquence or our cleverness, but our willingness to love when it costs us something—our time, our comfort, our pride.

Yes, there are those who manipulate generosity, and our Lord does not ask us to be naïve. But neither does He give us permission to allow suspicion to harden our hearts. Discernment must walk hand-in-hand with compassion. We cannot reduce every plea to a scheme; we cannot let cynicism become our shield. Christ did not say, “Love only the deserving.” He said, “Love one another as I have loved you” (Jn 13:34)—and His love has never once been stingy.

My friends, it is possible to pray much and love little. It is possible to speak beautifully of God and yet avoid the neighbor who inconveniences us. The Pharisee and the Levite passed by the wounded man, perhaps on their way to do religious duties. But the Samaritan—whose theology was considered flawed—became the true neighbor because he allowed compassion to interrupt his journey.

This is a hard truth, but one we must face: Without love, our faith is noise. St. Paul does not mince words: “If I have all knowledge and all faith…but have not love, I am nothing” (1 Cor 13:2). Not “less,” not “imperfect”—nothing.

So today I ask you, as your bishop and your brother: let us return to the heart of the Gospel. Let us undergo true metanoia—a turning of the mind, a reshaping of the heart. Let our speech grow quieter and our deeds grow louder. Let us look for Christ in every face, especially in the faces that are easy to overlook.

If we can offer even one person a gentler word, a patient ear, a small act of mercy, we have already begun to build the Kingdom. And that, my friends, is the life of a Christian.

May the blessing of the Lord be upon you, through His grace and love for mankind, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

+Archbishop Stephen”