Bishop Maximos of Melitene delivers sermon on the gentleness of exclusion

Bishop Maximos of Melitene delivered a sermon based on the Gospel of Luke (8:27-39), reflecting on the biblical account of the Gerasene demoniac. The discourse examines the theme of social exclusion, noting how individuals who do not conform to established norms or lifestyles are often marginalized by their own communities.

Using the narrative of a man cast out by his neighbors and living in tombs, the Bishop discusses how society often uses labels such as morality, tradition, or ethics to justify the exclusion of those perceived as different or problematic. He characterizes this tendency as a form of authoritarianism used to protect the perceived order of a close-knit circle.