Passages Retreat
Fourth Talk

7:45 PM Regrouping; Fourth Talk: Turning Away

Opening Song: On the Turning Away by Pink Floyd

Earlier today Father spoke about change in our lives. We’ve changed since we were children. We’ve been challenged to put aside our childish ways.

The song we just heard speaks of a different kind of change

Let’s look at the lyrics. The first three stanzas speak of how we sometimes turn away from others – from the pained and the downtrodden, from those who love us and those who need us the most. By tuning away we can even tragically change love into suffering. In the process, our hearts turn to stone.

Not only can we turn away from others, but it is also possible for us to turn away from ourselves by forgetting that we are unique and different, by trying to become something or someone we’re not. We might abandon living our own values and chase after the dream of the crowd, only to find that we are left alone, speechless, silent. Words like love, acceptance, integrity, and caring become strange.

When we turn away from putting our values into action, we also turn away from God.

We may say that loving others is an important value in our lives, yet we may purposely try to hurt the people we love. We might say that honesty is an important value, yet we might lie to others. We all believe that accepting others as they are is an important value, yet there are times when we reject others for the silliest reasons – because we don’t want others to think we’re a geek, because we don’t like the way another person dresses, or whatever. We may loudly proclaim that it is important to help the needy and the poor, but how often do we actually do this? When was the last time we went out of our way to help another person – especially one who was needy or poor?

Jesus tells us that the way we treat others is the way we treat Him. God lives in each of us. When we show love for another person, we show love for God. When we hurt others, we hurt God. In the Gospel of Saint Matthew, Jesus uses a parable to make this point. Let’s listen to His words:

Read Matthew 25:31-46

The goats claimed to have had the same values as the sheep. The sheep acted the same toward everyone they encountered, while the goats were only willing to put their values into action if it benefited them personally, if they “got something” out of it. They said one thing, but did the other. They failed to reach out in love to others and, in the process, they failed to love God.

All of this rings us to the importance of change. As Christians we should try to practice what we preach, to live according to our values. We may have to change the way we look at others, and that can sometimes be difficult. But look at how much we’ve already changed since we were children. Just a few years ago we would have died if someone had stolen our favorite toy. We look back at that now and chuckle. We’ve changed.

Let’s look at the last stanza of the song. It challenges us to turn away from the turning away – to start turning toward others, to treat others lovingly and with care, to put our values into action. I need to turn away from turning away. I need to turn to others and to God.

One of the most important reasons we need to turn to God and to others is because none of us can exist apart from those around us. Our values help to unite us to others. They serve to remind us that we need the love, concern, acceptance, trust, nurturing, and giving others give us – and we offer to others in return. Throughout the different stages of our lives our needs may change and our values may be placed in a different order, but our need to experience a common union or bond of love with others remains the same. Turning away from others can only destroy this common union and bond of love.

Close you eyes. Try to visualize those whom you love and those upon whose love you depend. Perhaps at some time you’ve turned away from them; perhaps at other times they’ve turned away from you. Despite the turning away, you still love them and do all you can to remain at one with them. As you visualize them make a commitment to never turn away from them, to never turn them away.

Allow time for them to do what you’ve asked. Music will play softly in the background.

When you open your eyes you’ll find a sign of your commitment to turning away from turning away on the floor in front of you. If you’ve made that commitment, ask another person to tie the bracelet on to your wrist. If you don’t feel you can make a commitment at this time, save the bracelet until you feel you can. And never forget to continually ask yourself the question found in the last line of the song; “Is it only a dream that there’ll be no more turning away.”

8:30 P.M. Break

Candidates and team will reassemble in 15 minutes in site designated for Reconciliation and Liturgy.

8:45 P.M. Reconciliation

The Rite of Reconciliation will pick up where the last talk left off, beginning with the parable of the Good Samaritan as an example of Jesus’ command that we not turn away from others. The Eucharistic Liturgy will follow immediately. Outlines for these will be distributed at the team meeting on Friday evening, August 25.

Following the Liturgy, the packets of mementos from parents will e distributed to the candidates. Father John will handle this; hence there is no outline. Candidates will have the opportunity to go off on their own to open their packets.

The remainder of the evening will have no special structure. No doubt the candidates will want to visit, share the contents of their packets, etc. This will provide important time for fellowship. We will aim at “lights out” at midnight, although depending on the tone of the group we can certainly be flexible. There will surely be energy to burn, so it would seem that so long as the candidates are not engaging in anything too rowdy we can play it by ear.

When things are fairly under control and quiet, there will be a team meeting to assess the day’s events and to review Sunday’s program.

		Department of Youth, Young Adult, and Campus Ministry Orthodox Church in America PO Box 675 Syosset, NY 11791 http://yya.oca.org yyacm@oca.org The Hub | Back to top