What We Owe Others - Steven Christoforou - August 20, 2023

Steven Christoforou is the Director of Operations and Community Engagement for FOCUS North America, an Orthodox Christian non-profit focused on providing solutions to poverty in communities across America. In today’s sermon, Steven references today’s Gospel and Epistle readings to draw our attention to two questions: What do we owe others?; and what do others owe us?. He notes that in today’s society, especially in America, we are far too often focused on our rights - what we believe other people owe us. However, as Orthodox Christians, the true society we live in is the Kingdom of Heaven. And living a faithful christian life in the Kingdom of God comes with great responsibility - what we owe others. Steven reminds us that we as Orthodox Christians are called to not think of what we are owed, but only of what we owe others. We owe our neighbors love, generosity, and the fulfillment of the commands of Christ to think of the other before ourselves. Steven leaves us with the question: As Orthodox Christians, do we live up to the calling our Heavenly Father has given us?