Reconcile

I was thinking about the Lord's response to the Pharisee's question about the greatest commandment.  He said first, love the Lord your God... and love your neighbor as yourself.  My next thought was simply that if someone actually lived this out, they, in turn, would be loved by those around them.  I mean really, who doesn't love someone who is a loving type of person.  But this is actually the opposite of what Jesus said would happen.  How do we understand this?
In Matthew we read that the world will hate us because of Christ.  One would have to suppose that this hatred is directed toward the one who is actively and faithfully following Christ.   Of course, this would mean that this person is loving God and loving neighbor.  I don't know about anyone else, but that one is really difficult for me to get my head around.  Think about someone you know, who is extremely nice, loving and friendly.  Can you imagine anyone hating that person?  Is it possible then that the personalities we create, in a form that we consider nice and loving, are coming from a completely wrong perspective?
I certainly do not have any answers on this, but I do know what the church says our lives should look like.  I also know that they path to eternal life, only through Christ, is a very difficult one.  Yet at the same time, that burden is a light one.

A whole new world

We read through the Old Testament and see story after story of how God has interacted with his people.  This is the story of the Old Covenant and from this story we can learn very much.  When we read the Gospels, again, we are reading about how God has interacted with his people, this time in the person of Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity.  This too is the story of the Old Covenant and from this story we can learn much.
But we now no longer live under the Old Covenant.  The epistles are very clear on this point (see Heb 8:13).  Under the OC, the people of God were limited to the temporal and physical due to domination of death.  Adam's fall into sin left man in bondage to death and cut off from access to heaven.  When someone died, during OC time, that was it.  He was left in a state of separation from God, waiting until the victory of Christ over death and a release from death.  This is why all of the blessings in the OC were of a temporal and physical nature.  Blessings of land, health, long life and many children were the means that God used.
But we are no longer in the Old Covenant.
In the epistles we see a radically different state of affairs.  No longer do the blessings from God focus on the things of the earth.  Celibacy is praised as better than marriage (ie, no children).  Asceticism is encouraged (self deprivation, not fatness and wealth).  A change of heart manifested in love for neighbor is the sign of godliness and obedience, not the external following of a law written in stone.
Our reading of the Old Testament is very valuable and helpful for our sanctification but can only be understood and applied to our lives when we rightly understand this extremely important distinction between the covenants.

Re: Crying uncle

So as to avoid this response being buried in the response section, I decided to create it as its own post.
Carl, thanks for your comments.  I too believe this is an important question, simply due to the massive and long term affects this will have on our children.  The culture in which one matures will form the person. 
In regards to your semi quote of scripture, I would need to see what exactly you are referencing.  We are to be faithful in whatever situation we find ourselves, but we also need to be faithful in the raising up of our children and protect them from this bastion of depravity.
Personally, I don't believe nationalism should be part of this consideration.  It seems to me that any kind of division or racial/geographical distinctions should be rejected, instead only recognizing the distinction of "those of the church" and "those outside the church."  Racial and nationalistic distinctions are a part of the Old Covenant.
While the subjectivity of the answer to this question may be just that, I believe the criteria for making that decision is objective.  How deep of sewage is one willing to swim in?
The poetic/rhythmic nature of your last question aside, no, the Assink clan has no departure plans. 

Practical ideology

The concept of ideology is that of ideas.  The ideas that one has, that form the structure for how they think, what they think and what they believe to be true, makes up ones ideology. 
A practical ideology world therefore be one that is: sensible, practical, useful and pragmatic.  Hopefully you see the problem with such an approach.  A practical ideology is one that is founded upon shifting or changing foundations.  The pragmatic approach leaves one with the option to change as ones situation changes, or as ones perceptions or feelings change.  Personally, this would leave me very uncomfortable.  The idea of a personally defined and malleable ideology leaves one with no certain boundaries or structure for an ethic.
I would think that this would eventually destroy ones soul.

Culture and children 2

It occurred to me as I have continued to think about this topic, that the answers to questions such as I have asked in the previous post are really just the fruit of the underlying worldview and presuppositions.  In other words, our children will do and be these things because of "what" we have taught them, "how" we have taught them to think and how we have lived out our own lives.
I am beginning to be more convinced that the American way of life is the driving force behind why our children grow up to be what they are. The American worldview is this:  independence, self reliance, the Protestant work ethic and autonomy.  Some of these things have become apparent after my just having read Huntington's "The Clash of Civilization and the Remaking of World Order."  Herein, he points out how Americans believe that their current form of culture is the highest good and that all other cultures should inherit and imitate it.  This, of course, is the epitome of arrogance and historical ignorance.  Not to mention a terrible ignorance of Christian thought. 
What is driving our children in the direction they go?  I'm beginning to think that it is self idolatry.  We do not train them to submit to the Christian faith as it is lived out in the historic church.  Allowing anyone to live with themselves as the final authority will only lead to godlessness.

More on culture

If any American would be so trite as to suggest that only the bible directs their child rearing, I would challenge them with a few questions. 
1. How do our children dress?
2. How do our children eat?
3.  What entertainment do they watch and who makes it?
4.  Who are their friends?
5. What pictures are hanging on their walls?
6. From where do they gain their education?
7.  What are their long term goals for life?
8.  What is their view on money?

There are many more questions, but hopefully these will stimulate some thought.

Culture and Children

 A couple of thoughts have been rolling around in my mind, as of late.  I cannot help but think that there is some sort of underlying, worldview, presuppositional approach that we take to child rearing, simply because we are Americans.  I am certain that this is a subconscious, unrecognized controlling factor in how we train up our children.
The big question is, "What is this approach?"  We also must consider if there is any way we can change this, into a form that is in line with historic Christianity.  I cannot help but understand that something like this must be very, very deeply rooted and presuppositional.  As I have shifted from Calvinistic Protestantism to Eastern Orthodoxy, I am coming to realize just how important questions like this are and that something must be done about them.
The other aspect that must be considered is the horrifyingly influential power of American culture.  As we descend further and further into depravity, perversion and death, our American culture continues to influence us and our children.  We must act and stop this influence.
What is controlling the way in which we raise up our children?

Others centered

One of the really big things that has been becoming more evident the longer I am Orthodox, is that of living a life that is centered on others, not on self.  While the goal of our Christian life is the pursuit of holiness, this takes place, only, within the context of community.  The Christian life is that of communion with Christ as the body of Christ.  This is by no means a way of de-personalizing Jesus.  Jesus is a person, the second person of the Trinity, but we draw close to him and commune with him as we commune with those in the Church.
As believers, our faithfulness is measured, not by how much we know, but by how much we have cared for and helped others during our lifetime.  Think of Jesus' words to the sheep and the goats.  Think of Jesus' words to the disciples, "They will know you by your love for one another."
One way of approaching life is by focusing on what we should do, rather than on what we should not do.  They are plenty of opportunities to love those around us.  We simply need to learn to see them.

Crying "Uncle"

At what point do we finally say, enough is enough?  Here we sit in America, an (arguably) historically Christian country, and watch it go to hell in a handbag. We continue down the road of depravity, and this path, unarguably, influences us and our children, in a very bad way.
When do we pack our bags and head for high ground?  At what point is enough, enough? Kind of like being punched in the throat, over and over again, eventually you must avoid that situation.
When do we cry "uncle" and leave?

Objectively speaking

As we all full well know, there is much talk in the news and everywhere else imaginable regarding the new law on gay marriage.  The all powerful and all arrogant US supreme court has decided that it can redefine marriage as being between two consenting adults, regardless of gender.
My first thought on this is this.  Why does the political entity known as the US law system think they have any say as to what defines marriage?  No human institution has this right.  God had defined marriage, clearly, as being between a man and a woman, and that settles it.
Secondly, whatever the US government says about marriage is really irrelevant.  Scripture and church tradition have always defined marriage as a sacrament between one man and one woman.  As the people of God, we don't care what the US government says in this regard.  God has spoken.
If the government tries to force is to endorse gay marriage, we will get out of the civil marriage business.  People are free to do whatever they choose. But gay marriage will always be wrong and the church will never endorse it or bless it.  We will simply recognize marriage as a sacrament between one man and one woman, only.
The answer is very simple.  The government should not be defining morality.

Celebration

On this culturally important holiday, I wanted to make a few comments that have recently passed through my mind.  I'm afraid that most people will celebrate this 4th of July without a whole lot of thought behind so much of it.  Why are we celebrating?  What are we celebrating?  What does our involvement in this celebration say about us?  Do we actually agree with what this celebration communicates?
Obviously, this holiday is not celebrated by any other nation, especially those of the Natives of this land.  I would suppose that they see this as a day of mourning, similar to the 9/11 situation, as of late.  Does our celebration of this holiday mean that we agree with everything that our country has done or believes?  Probably not and most people would not think in these terms.  But our celebration does mean that we rejoice at the formation and continuation of this nation.  And I'm not too sure that celebration in this regard is really that good.  We have legalized the murder of our own unborn children.  We have recently legalized gay marriage.  We have murdered countless thousands in illegitimate wars and operations.  Obviously, any kind of anti-American activity is out of the question.  That is not appropriate for a Christian.  We do not fight against flesh and blood.  But on the other hand, we should not actively support, encourage or celebrate the state of our nation either.
There really is no conclusion to this thought, just an encouragement to consider what we are doing and why.