Healing a Fragmented World
I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life. Philippians 4:2-3
What do we do as Orthodox women when we come to spaces of tension or disagreement together? What do we do when those who are our sisters in Christ have wildly different opinions about something we hold dear?
Euodia and Syntyche’s story reminds us that this is not always easy. As coworkers with Paul for the sake of the Gospel, they “struggled beside” him with the same goals, yet points of tension still broke out. While we are given no clues as to what these points were, we can imagine that it must have felt irreconcilable for Paul to take the time to mention them.
The words Paul uses seem key here. He asks them to be “of the same mind in the Lord.” This unity of thought and mission he sought for them was centered around one thing: Christ. Whatever difference of opinions, viewpoints, and approaches they held were able to be held in tension, as long as together they started and ended with the goal that truly mattered: to serve Christ in love and be a beacon of light and healing to the world.
Since there is no second letter to the Philippians, we never learn the end of the story. Did they work things out? Did their friends support them through this process? While we cannot say for sure, we can hold in faith that they indeed did, and that the same is possible for us as Orthodox women today.
Within your own parish, you’ve likely noticed that there are many different Orthodox women seeking to deepen their lives in Christ in different ways. Perhaps you’ve encountered perspectives different than your own at coffee hour, online, or in a book group or Bible study. While these differences can be sources of tension, as servants of the Gospel they are also an opportunity for us to approach someone with curiosity and genuine love.
That’s just one of the many reasons we love gathering as Orthodox women across jurisdictions: we get the chance to learn from each other and be mutually enriched in our different traditions, all worshiping the same God. When we can see the many ways that Orthodox faithfulness takes shape across vocations, seasons of life, and types of service, we each grow stronger in our own callings and find encouragement to offer our gifts more fully to the Church and the world.
Elsewhere in Philippians, Paul uses the same phrase, “the mind of Christ,” reminding his readers of the great humility of a God who came to earth and talked with us so openly, forcing His way on no one (Phil 2). In the footsteps of a God who loves us like that, may we also walk in the footsteps of our sisters Euodia and Syntyche, and recognize the beautiful ways our many gifts, perspectives, and vocations belong fully within the life of the Church, helping to heal a fragmented world.
In Heather MacKean’s icon of the Women of the New Testament, Euodia and Syntyche are at the very bottom left of the icon. A high-quality 8×10 print of this icon, produced on heavyweight, acid-free cardstock with a matte finish, ready for framing, is our thank you gift to everyone who donates $100 or more—or a monthly commitment of $10 or more–to our Myrrhbearing Women Fundraiser.
Your support directly makes possible gatherings, scholarships, and resources that enable Orthodox women to come together across differences, deepen in faith, and find the encouragement and training they need to live out their callings in the Church.
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