Nonna and her husband Gregory the Elder were the parents of Gregory of Nazianzus and Gorgonia (325-375 AD). Gorgonia and her husband Alypius lived in Iconium where they raised two sons who became bishops and three godly daughters.
All that we known of Gorgonia we derive from her brother Gregory of Nazianzus’ funeral oration on her life. Gregory went to great extremes to convey the historical accuracy of his eulogy of Gorgonia. “In praising my sister, I shall pay honour to one of my own family; yet my praise will not be false, because it is given to a relation, but, because it is true, will be worthy of commendation, and its truth is based not only upon its justice, but upon well-known facts. For, even if I wished, I should not be permitted to be partial; since everyone who hears me stands, like a skilful critic, between my oration and the truth, to discountenance exaggeration”[i]
An Empowering Heroic Narrative: Applying the Life Lessons of the Great Cloud of Witnesses
Gregory is practiced in the soul physician art of producing a heroic narrative for the purpose of empowering others. “Come, let me proceed with my eulogy . . . performing, as a most indispensable debt, all those funeral rites which are her due, and further instructing everyone in a zealous imitation of the same virtue, since it is my object in every word and action to promote the perfection of those committed to my charge.”[ii] Like the author of Hebrews in chapters 11 and 12, Gregory shepherds his living flock by reminding them of the faithfulness of the great cloud of witnesses who have gone before them. Though dead, their lives still speak.
Gorgonia’s life spoke from heaven because while on earth she was so heavenly minded that she was of great earthly good. “Gorgonia’s native land was Jerusalem above, the object, not of sight but of contemplation, wherein is our commonwealth, and whereto we are pressing on: whose citizen Christ is, and whose fellow-citizens are the assembly and church of the first born who are written in heaven, and feast around its great Founder in contemplation of His glory, and take part in the endless festival . . . which is produced by reason and virtue and pure desire, ever more and more conforming, in things pertaining to God, to those truly initiated into the heavenly mysteries; and in knowing whence, and of what character, and for what end we came into being.”[iii]
Gorgonia lived with spiritual eyes focused on her native land—heaven. Her life teaches us how to find our where, what, who, and why. By focusing on eternity, we learn our origin, our identity, and our purpose. We do not find the answers to the great philosophical, existential questions of life by focusing exclusively on this life, but rather by focusing intensely on the next life.
Godly Character Leading to Godly Counsel
Her godly character provided the firm foundation necessary for her godly counsel. In fact, Gregory directly links her “prudence and piety” when speaking of her fame as a wise counselor. “What could be keener than the intellect of her who was recognized as a common adviser not only by those of her family, those of the same people and of the one fold, but even by all men round about, who treated her counsels and advice as a law not to be broken? What more sagacious than her words? What more prudent than her silence? . . . Who had a fuller knowledge of the things of God, both from the Divine oracles, and from her own understanding? . . . Who so presented herself to God as a living temple?”[iv]
Gorgonia, like all biblical counselors, based her counsel upon the Word of God filtered through the discernment that develops from a lifelong commitment to God. She practiced the competency of using her human reason redeemed by grace to prudently listen to the specific situations of each unique individual in order to provide a timely, insightful word fit seamlessly for the exact occasion.
Gorgonia’s soul care was not of the “professional/office variety,” but earthly, real, and practical. “Who opened her house to those who live according to God with a more graceful and bountiful welcome? . . . Whose soul was more sympathetic to those in trouble? Whose hand more liberal to those in want? I should not hesitate to honour her with the words of Job: Her door was opened to all comers; the stranger did not lodge in the street. She was eyes to the blind, feet to the lame, a mother to the orphan. Why should I say more of her compassion to widows, than that its fruit which she obtained was, never to be called a widow herself? Her house was a common abode to all the needy of her family; and her goods no less common to all in need than their own belonged to each.”[v]
In the spirit of 1 Thessalonians 5:14, Gorgonia practiced holistic ministry. “And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.” In the spirit of James 1:27, she practiced true spirituality. “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” In the spirit of Acts 2:44-45, she practiced sacrificial giving. “All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.”
Her counsel and care rang true and pure because she walked the talk. Her maddened mules ran away with her carriage, overturning it, and dragging her along, causing serious injuries to her bones and limbs. Gregory records her response to her suffering, a response that teaches us much about biblical sufferology. “. . . the suffering being human, the recovery superhuman, and giving a lesson to those who come after, exhibiting in a high degree faith in the midst of suffering, and patience under calamity, but in a still higher degree the kindness of God to them that are such as she. For to the beautiful promise to the righteous ‘though he fall, he shall not be utterly broken,’ has been added one more recent, ‘though he be utterly broken, he shall speedily be raised up and glorified.’[vi] Reflecting back upon her silence during the recovery period, Gregory concludes, “. . that was the time to be silent, this is the time to manifest it, not only for the glory of God, but also for the consolation of those in affliction.”[vii]
Gregonia’s sufferology provides a lasting lesson for all to learn: we must mingle enduring patience with deep faith in the goodness of God during the badness of life. Such faith not only brings God glory, it also offers comfort to those now facing hardships.
As she lived; she died. On her deathbed, she offered words of healing hope and guiding direction as she spoke God’s truth in love. “After many injunctions to her husband, her children, and her friends, as was to be expected from one who was full of conjugal, maternal, and brotherly love, and after making her last day a day of solemn festival with brilliant discourse upon the things above, she fell asleep, full not of the days of man, for which she had no desire, knowing them to be evil for her, and mainly occupied with our dust and wanderings, but more exceedingly full of the days of God.”[viii] In serene calmness she whispered her final benediction, “I will lay me down in peace, and take my rest.”[ix]
[i]Gregory of Nazianzus, Select Orations, Sermons, Letters; Dogmatic Treatises, translated in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, 2nd Series, ed. P. Schaff and H. Wace. Reprint ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1955, Vol. 7, p. 238.
[ii]Ibid, p. 239.
[iii]Ibid., pp. 239-240.
[iv]Ibid., p. 241.
[v]Ibid.
[vi]Ibid., p. 242.
[vii]Ibid., p. 243.
[viii]Ibid., p. 244.
[ix]Ibid.
