maximus wrote:I feel that sometimes people talk about Nadir as if he is unable to read what they are posting. As if he were a child in a room and we are parents discussing his behavior.
I think I would personally feel alienated if I were talked about in this way. In which case, why would I want to have a dialogue with somebody doing this?
Nadir, God forbid any of us claim to be perfect. As I'm sure you understand, our faith tells us that Orthodoxy is His Church, His Body. Everything else, Protestant, Catholic, Buddhist, Muslim, etc. is not of His Body, according to our beliefs.
I'll speak for myself: as such, in a spirit that I hope is love, I find myself wanting to convince anyone who is not in the Orthodox Church to come in. For how can I, being the sinner I am, God knows how much of a sinner I am, NOT share the truth of Christ's Body to others? To my loved ones? To my neighbor? It is my duty, my obligation, to speak the truth when it is called for.
I have friends in the Roman Catholic Church, pious, zealous, God-loving friends who should be here. And they're not. It baffles me. For I am wicked and utterly horrible - and yet an Orthodox Christian. I wish that everyone would come into the Church. That you would come into the Church, Nadir. But if you do not wish to discuss it, I will not push. I will not judge you. I will love you as my neighbor, to the best of my abilities. And if I fall short of it, ever in the future, please forgive me.
Excellent post, Maximus.
One of my relatives is a member of some strange evangelical protestant group. She goes door to door preaching Christ and telling them that her little church is the only one that is truly Christ's church. Since she does not radiate Christ's love, she turns off everyone with whom she speaks. She does not understand and complains: "Why is God not using me to convert the world?" Not everyone is called to be a preacher or a teacher.
I have a wonderful long time Catholic friend named Judy. Together, we have a ministry of visiting a Roman Catholic elderly woman, Vickie, who has been hospitalized by the State of California since she is delusional and stalking men whom she feel God wants her to marry. Vickie has bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. She tells people that she has visions of Christ and His Mother. Worse, Vickie thinks that Orthodoxy is of the devil; thus, she has said horrible things to me.
However, yesterday when we visited Vickie on her birthday, I brought some Eastern Catholic literature to her with information on the Perpetual Help Icon of our Lady (known in Orthodoxy as the Odehetria Icon or the Theotokos of the Passion). Upon reading the literature, Vickie addressed the Holy Virgin Mary as the Theotokos.
Incidentally, Judy has started praying, "Most Holy Theotokos, Save us," ever since I gave her a copy of the Iveron Icon of the Theotokos who has been weeping myrrh in Hawaii. Judy has been telling me of the many miracles that our Lady, the Theotokos, has worked on her behalf since she started to pray to the Theotokos. We in Orthodoxy might take these miracles for granted, but daily the Theotokos protects those who honor her.
Anyway, on Sunday, Judy went to church and was very distracted because every time she looked toward the altar, she saw this immodestly dressed young woman. After praying, "Most Holy Theotokos, save us," suddenly a huge tall man came and sat immediately in front of Judy thus blocking her view of that woman. Funny! How many of us would have further complained because our view was being obstructed by a huge tall man. Instead, Judy rejoiced and thanked our Lady the Theotokos. Since then many other little miracles have happened.
I have been praying for more than 15 years that Judy, who does not like the Vatican II changes in the Catholic Church, will come into Holy Orthodoxy, and it seems like our Lady is leading her home through Her virginal purity and love for mankind.
