Could do, should do

This is a dichotomy that everyone has but rarely considers.  In almost every situation, we have a choice to make, what we "could do" (of which the options are many) and what we "should do" (which is usually one, but sometimes a few).
The way we answer this mostly depends upon the worldview we have lived out, thus far.  It won't be based upon what we profess, because we are typically hypocritical.  It won't be based upon what we were taught as children, because we have often gone a different direction.
So, just food for thought, the next time there is a decision to be made, step back and analyze the situation, and decide who's influence will direct your decision.

The real history of pirates

A somewhat sad analogy occurred to me the other day.  If a police officer or military personnel needed your vehicle, they could legally take it, for professional use.  But if anyone else did so, it would be theft and punishable, an act of piracy.
A type of piracy has been going on for almost 2000 years now.  Every time someone who is not part of the historic church but claims to be so, is in essence stealing an identity.
Many of the seven ecumenical councils were held in response to various groups trying to redefine Christianity and take the name "Christian".
The Roman Catholics did this, officially in 1054.  The Protestants in Germany and Switzerland did so as well around 1550.  Again, the Anglicans around 1650.  The Mormons did so as well in the late 1800's.  In each of these cases, these groups rejected the historic Orthodox church and tried to exist independently.  This is similar to a severed limb trying to live apart from its body.  An appendage cut off from the rest of the body, is not the body.
A point of clarity is very important here.  This situation is about organizations and groups, not the individuals therein. As Orthodox Christians, we must never judge anyone or claim to know their heart. Only God is the judge.  What we can do though is identify the boundaries of the body of Christ.  The Orthodox church has the historic faith, we have the teaching of the apostles,  we have the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
So we can play the part of the pirate and steal an identity. Or we can embrace the faith once delivered to the saints and be part of the body of Christ.  Why would we do otherwise?

Thoughts on eternity

Most, if not all, religions have some sort of concept of the afterlife.  The idea of judgment and eternal life or eternal suffering dates as far back as ancient Egypt circa 3000 BC.
One thing I find particularly interesting in this is the manner in which Western Christianity has developed its doctrine of heaven and hell.  Largely under the influence of Dante's Inferno and the theological gymnastics of speculative thinkers, the doctrine of hell has morphed into something totally foreign to historic Christianity.
Historically and biblically speaking, our vision of hell is radically foreign than the modern vision.  To the average US citizen, hell is the kingdom of Satan, where he rules over a legion of demons, in a fiery domain, surrounded by suffering human souls. But this is not the case.  Satan and the demons are already defeated foes.  They roam about seeking whom they may deceive and ensnare. But Satan has no power or authority to harm anyone, but only that which God allows him or we allow him.  Hell is that place where the wicked wait for the final judgment.  There is no power or authority there for anyone, just suffering.
Essentially, hell is chosen.  Think of our life as a time that we use to prepare and shape our souls for eternity.  All of those things that we freely choose to do will shape us into the form we will hold for eternity.  If we spend a lifetime pursuing pleasure, gratification, selfish and and distraction, we are in essence ignoring God.  If we spend a lifetime ignoring God, why would we want to spend an eternity with him?  Regardless of what you may think now, when the time comes, your desire will not be for God.  If you don't desire to love him now, you won't love him in eternity.
In short, you would be choosing hell.

Stealing moments

All of us have only so much time to live.  None of us know when we will die.  All people typically spend their time on the things they believe to be most important.  At least that is what we are led to believe.  If we stop and actually pay attention to, or document how, we actually spend our time, we may be surprised.
Think of your daily life in terms of moments.  We spend a certain amount of time sleeping.  We spend time beautifying ourselves by diet, by exercise, by hair, make up and clothes.  We spend time working.  We spend time on the internet, in theatres, listening to music and reading.  We spend time watching tv or going to church.  Some spend time in prayer.
With all that in mind, think of it.  How much time is wasted and could be used in something productive.  Spending fifteen minutes a day studying a language would make someone fairly proficient in a year's time.  Watching one less hour a day of tv would free up over 350 hours a year.  A class at the local community college requires about fifty hours for a five credit class.  This means that one could acquire a full education in less time than one spends watching tv.
And how about money?  If someone brought two less lattes a week, in one year time, one would save over $500.  That could feed a lot of starving children.  These kinds of numbers could easily be multiplied with money spent on music, movies, clothes, or makeup.
My main point is self examination.  We must be willing to step back and consider what we are doing and why.  Have we become comfortable? Have we become lazy?  Have we become self centered and selfish?
It's easy to become distracted and complacent.  Step back and take a look.

About Orthodoxy

I recently had a very brief dialogue with a highly respected and highly educated Protestant minister. I had asked him about his thoughts on Eastern Orthodoxy and he responded.  It was gracious of him to do so, as he is a very busy and productive gentleman.
His response was this.  While I appreciate the EO validation of worship, its their Platonism, works righteousness and low view of Scripture that makes their views less than orthodox.
There are so many problems with his response that I hardly know where to begin. First off, I am disappointed that someone of his stature, education and experience would make such definitional mistakes.  Who is he to define what is orthodox?  The EO church has 2000 years of history and ecumenical councils supporting its views (not to mention Scripture). This gentleman has 500 years of vascillating Calvinism to rest upon.  I don't know where he gets his ideas about EO promoting world righteousness. He may be confusing salvation by works with the responsibility of living out ones faith.  The EO church fully embraces the teaching that we are saved by grace alone. But it is also fully aware that we need to work out our salvation by fear and trembling.  We do not rest on the error of once saved, always saved.
As far as Platonism goes, recognizing the distinction between soul and body and leading the body by forcing it to submit to the guidance of the church through the power of the Holy Spirit is not Platonism.
And regarding Scripture, it's not a low view but a balanced view that recognizes that Scripture is interpreted by the historic Orthodox church and not the whims of individuals.  Scripture is to be understood in the circle of tradition.  We had church and practice long before we had the Canon.
So to my Protestant minister friend, whom I highly appreciate and respect, I'm sorry but you missed the boat on this one. I wish we could dialogue more on this.  Your life in pursuit of truth and holiness will only find fulfillment in the one true, holy and apostolic church.  God bless you George.

Thoughts on sin

I've spoken in the past about how easy it is to see other people's sins but not our own.  This is one of the points made in a prayer we make during Lent.  We pray that God would help us see our own sin and help us not to judge our brother.
One thing has come to light on this regard.  How often do we look at someone else's sins and think, "How can they be so blind so as to do that sin?"  Of course, when we look at ourselves, we are much more gracious, merciful and compassionate.  We can offer many explanations and reasons for why we sin and how the sins we do are really not that bad.  Of course, such sophistry is nonsense.  All sin is bad and ought to be hated.
But back to the question.  How is it that some people do sins x,y and z and somehow excuse or justify it, when someone else, often times very similar in class and culture, sees that sin as horrible and ridiculous?  I believe it has to do with environment and genetics.  When we grow up in a family where certain sins are coddled or excused, we learn to do the same thing.  We, as fallen men in a fallen culture, from fallen peoples, have genetic predispositions toward certain sins.  (One example that I know of is the weakness towards alcohol among the American natives.)
Of course, neither of these are excuses for sin, but understanding them help us to respond better. 
So we should recognize that the sins we see as so obviously wrong, someone else, for complex reasons, does not see it that way. 
This all goes back to our tendency to judge others and go easy on ourselves.  We go easy because we know the details of our own lives.  Really this comes down to community.  When we spend time with and genuinely get to know others, it is natural to have compassion on them.  It's easy to chastise and judge the other guy, whom we do not know.
It's becoming more and more clear that community is incredibly valuable.

Thoughts on suffering

I recently watched a few short videos on the terrible hunger and suffering currently going on in Ethiopia and the Sudan.  Heart wrenching, devastating suffering of children is completely unacceptable when something can be done about it.
I had a couple of thoughts on this.  First, my academic side.  The videos bothered me on two aspects.  The obvious, of course, is seen in the mere fact of children being born and living long enough to suffer and die by starvation.  The second, seemingly cold and distant, is that the videos were a bald attack of emotional manipulation.  Yes, absolutely, we should be greatly grieved by the suffering of children.  But the emotional manipulation that is used to make someone sad, I believe, is wrong.  We should be sad, not because the music and the camera angles move our emotions, but because these people, all of them made in the image of God, are suffering for no good reason.
As Christian's, we should be grieved and saddened by the mere facts of the situation, not by the emotional manipulation of the art.
My other thought is that this terrible situation can be undone and reversed by intervention.  It is great that so many people want to help by sending food and money.  But this is a very short term band aid. The problem is a combination of government corruption, military abuse and Islam.  The Islamic worldview is apathetic because it is nihilistic.  Human life doesn't matter because Allah is arbitrary.  He chooses some to paradise and others to damnation, merely based on his arbitrary will. The easy answer is that those who are born into poverty and suffering, obviously are going to feel Allah's wrath.  Therefore nothing needs to be or should be done about it.
The equally maddening thing is that the US could easily intervene and help all of these people by military power, but there is no economic reason for them to do so, so nothing is done.
As Christians, if we can help in some way, we should.  And no matter what. we should pray. And this is not a last resort, but a powerful act of faith.