I would like to relate an anecdote I remember from the home of my parents. In it I would stress that after debate and rancor are over, everyone bearing the name of Orthodox Christian must indeed treat his brother with due respect and concern. Though we may disagree with some, we must always remember that all are reborn in Christ bear His image and owed due respect... On a human level, let us not turn away from any Orthodox fellowship in Christ Jesus.
This illustrates how things should not devolve:
A Russian couple in France went to Calais in summer. They went to the beach and after eating, the husband decided he would go for a swim. He swam out far. He caught a cramp and stiffened up in pain. Soon he began to drown, screaming for help. The man's wife could not swim, so she looked around, looking for someone to save her drowning husband.
She approached an Englishman, saying, "Help! My husband there is drowning."
The Englishman retorted, "You can't save all. There are enough already". He turned coldly away from her.
She rushed to the next person she could find, "Help! My husband is the man drowning out there." The Frenchman answered, "I would surely help, madam, but I haven't a pair of trunks." He walked off.
Then in desparation she found a couple. They were Russian. She approached the man, "Help! My husband is drowning out there. Please hurry."
The man hurriedly took off his sportcoat and just as he was about to plunge in to save the drowning man, he stopped.
She asked, "What's wrong? Please save him."
The man retorted, "Which jurisdiction is he?"
