Buddy Check!

We all remember being young at camp and excited for the adventures in the program. One of the most important tasks at the beginning of every camp experience was to identify our buddy. This wasn’t our friend, per se, but the person with whom we would share mutual responsibility. If our buddy was lost, we would find him. If we were lost, our buddy our search for us. Every now and then we would hear, “Buddy Check!” and we would quickly find our buddy and be counted. This was to keep us safe, and so long as we kept to the buddy system, it worked.

Beloved, woe to the ungodly, for they walk in the way of Cain, and abandon themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error, and perish in Korah’s rebellion.  These are blemishes on your love feasts, as they boldly carouse together, looking after themselves; waterless clouds, carried along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars for whom the nether gloom of darkness has been reserved for ever. It was of these also that Enoch in the seventh generation from Adam prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with his holy myriads, to execute judgment on all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness which they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”  These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own passions, loud-mouthed boasters, flattering people to gain advantage. But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; they said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.”  It is these who set up divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.  But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God; wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.  And convince some, who doubt; save some, by snatching them out of the fire; on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. Now to him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you without blemish before the presence of his glory with rejoicing, to the only God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and for ever.  Amen.

Jude -1.11-25

From the very beginning Cain walked away from the buddy system. Instead of being mutually responsible with his brother Abel, Cain went out on his own. It didn’t work well for him. The same is true for those who depart from the Church. The Church is our buddy system. Within the Church we have our brothers and sisters with whom we are mutually responsible. If one of us strays too far off the path, we are called to bring them back. As Jude teaches, convince some…snatch some of out the fire….have mercy on some.

Those who go out on their own like Cain, are destined for the same fate. When we depart from the way of the Church, we lose our safety net. We no longer have the advantage of mutual responsibility. All alone to our own vices, we fail to keep the faith that was “once and for all delivered to the Saints.” (Jude 1.3)

Just as when we were young at camp, it is time for a buddy check. Where is the one with whom you will be mutually responsible during the Great Fast that approaches? We are about to go on the adventure of a lifetime. We can’t make it all alone. We need our buddy to keep each other on the path.

Who will you enjoy the journey to Pascha with this year? Make sure your buddy has your back. Make sure neither of you strays too far from the other. Most importantly, make sure you are both wanting to see Christ.