It is a common mode of thought in American, Evangelical, Protestantism to think in the dualistic terms of sacred and secular. For many years, I tried very hard to categorize everything into this kind of world. Everything was to be black or white, right or wrong, sacred or secular. As I have become Orthodox in my life and worship, I have come to realize just how Old Covenant this kind of thinking is.
In the time prior to the resurrection, everything was categorized this way. Everything could be compared to and run through the filter of external law. Granted this is not to suggest that this was an easy task or one that was not abused via manipulation and verbal/literary gymnastics, but the worldview was there. Since we have moved beyond the infancy of the Old Covenant and have moved into the New, we must change our thinking to fit.
We must not think in terms of law, black and white or a simple "draw a line in the sand." Life is far too complex and "big" for our little brains. Instead, our lives should be lived out in terms of our movement toward holiness and our relationship with God. We need to ask, "Is this thing helping me or holding me back in my drive toward holiness? Is this thing (physical, conceptual or otherwise) helping me keep my thoughts on loving God and loving neighbor, or is it simply a distraction to entertain me?"
But this is a question we must ask only ourselves and not try to impose on others. This questions is deeply personal and must be discussed with our priest or spiritual father. Everyone is in a different place with different needs, weaknesses and locale. This is not to suggest that what is sin is different for different people. Sin is sin. But again, we must never impose on another. Someone else's place typically cannot be known to us, looking in from the outside. At most, we can only pose questions, and then pray for those we know and love, that they would continue to grow in holiness.
In the time prior to the resurrection, everything was categorized this way. Everything could be compared to and run through the filter of external law. Granted this is not to suggest that this was an easy task or one that was not abused via manipulation and verbal/literary gymnastics, but the worldview was there. Since we have moved beyond the infancy of the Old Covenant and have moved into the New, we must change our thinking to fit.
We must not think in terms of law, black and white or a simple "draw a line in the sand." Life is far too complex and "big" for our little brains. Instead, our lives should be lived out in terms of our movement toward holiness and our relationship with God. We need to ask, "Is this thing helping me or holding me back in my drive toward holiness? Is this thing (physical, conceptual or otherwise) helping me keep my thoughts on loving God and loving neighbor, or is it simply a distraction to entertain me?"
But this is a question we must ask only ourselves and not try to impose on others. This questions is deeply personal and must be discussed with our priest or spiritual father. Everyone is in a different place with different needs, weaknesses and locale. This is not to suggest that what is sin is different for different people. Sin is sin. But again, we must never impose on another. Someone else's place typically cannot be known to us, looking in from the outside. At most, we can only pose questions, and then pray for those we know and love, that they would continue to grow in holiness.
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