Deepthi 2022

Zo]vXn 2022
suffering?” As a response, they highlight and address
the question “who is my neighbour?” Here
they emphasize the importance of solidarity and
service in pandemic times. The theological foundation
of such values is based on the Christian
concept ‘image of God.’ Since God created human
beings in His image, it is the collective responsibility
of humankind to be stewards of entire creations.
The Divine Economy
As God has a plan, He needs an economy. The
term economy (OIKONOMIA) derives from two
Greek words - oikos, meaning “house” or “household”
and nomos, meaning “law.” Economy means
a house law, a household administration. The intention
of God’s household administration is for
carrying out His Purpose or plan. St. Athanasius
in his book called On The Incarnation states “God
the Son has been manifested in a human body,
out of the love and goodness of His Father for the
salvation 2 of us men.” The divine economy has
been exposing the manifestation of the love of God
in history. Among different names of God, “God
as love” is the affectionate one for the eastern
patristic. The following lines show how it is elaborated
by Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev. “The divine
love was the chief reason of God’s forming
the world and his coming in the flesh, it is the
chief mover of the force of created being.” The
strength of God’s love for creation is reflected in
Christ’s coming into the world. Informing the
world, the love of God manifests itself in all its
fullness. The assurance of the eternal presence of
God in the world is affirmed.
God’s economy is explicitly discussed by Paul
in his writings, especially in Ephesians. He depicts
Church as the body of Christ for God has a plan
in His divine economy. To add to this, Paul juxtaposes
economy to that of purpose in Ephesians
(3:11, 1:9). This purpose can be viewed as a product
of the will of God.
The economy, in traditional Christian theology,
can be termed as a synonym for the Incarnation
of Christ. The term is used for the incarnation as
it portrays the management role of God in this
Universe. The incarnate Christ limited himself to
humankind and accommodated himself to the
ordinary life and laws of earth. The term thus
specifies the intention of accommodation of God
to the human conditions to save him. All the dealings
of God in the process of salvation are His divine
Economy.
Church an extension of Divine Economy
The Church is an extension and the actualization
of the mystery of salvation. Boris Bobrinskoy
says that the church is officiating this through her
participation in the Savior’s theanthropic existence.
He continues: “The Church of God is founded
upon and by the redemptive mystery of Christ;
she is established and enlivened by the descent of
the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.”
Accordingly, the Mystery of divine economy
keeps on continuing in the world through the
church as an agent of Christ’s ministry. Bearing
this in mind, Boris Bobrinskoy calls redemption
as a “new Creation.” This “new creation” culminates
in the founding and growth of the Church
until its eschatological fulfilment in the kingdom.
The Church reproduces the economy of salvation
through her Christological nature. This is the fundamental
nature of the mission of the church. It
is an effort of “enabling” Paulos Mar Gregorios
defines the authentic Diakonia of the church by
saying,
Authentic Diakonia should involve
more than the giving of money or
goods or services, more than the “sharing”
of resources and personnel. It
demands taking upon oneself the suffering
of others. It demands laying
aside the sense of self-sufficiency of the
server, to feel and take on the sense of
helplessness and need to be experienced
by the served.
Covid-19 pandemic, if it is to be taken as a
“Christological tool” to develop a Christology on
the indwelling (silent) presence of Christ with
humankind, it would be a great relief for people
in despair and agony. A search for an answer to
this pandemic is there in everybody’s mind. A serving
community can only answer to making a community
a “serving Community” (diaconal community).
It is not a human task rather an inspiration
of the “Word of God” who voluntarily entered
into the human body to take all sufferings
of the world.
COVID-19 Pandemic: God’s Plan for Humankind
The divine economy has always been functioning
as a divine mechanism to renew the cosmic
orders as a “New Creation.” A genuine query may
arise - Does divine economy intend to devastate
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