In more than twenty years of ministry (both as a
non-ordained youth director, and as an ordained clergyman) I have met many, too
many really, people who seem to approach Orthodox Christianity from the attitude
of tolerance. Many Orthodox Christians, especially those who have been Orthodox
since their birth, view the life of the Church with an unfortunate perspective
of, “Why must I do all this stuff to be a Christian?” All this “stuff” can be a
number of things including: fasting, attending Divine Liturgy weekly, reading
and studying the Holy Scriptures, serving the poor, participating in the many
sacraments and blessing services, not the least of which praying daily. To a
world which focuses more and more upon pleasure, the Orthodox Christian Way of
Life can seem a burden to difficult “to be worth the effort.” As a result of
this attitude of tolerance, most view the life of the Church with the attitude
of, “If I have nothing else to do, then I’ll go to Church.”
Unfortunately, this attitude of tolerance is based upon a
terribly incorrect understanding of the “stuff” that we tolerate. We don’t
fast, just to fast. We don’t attend Church merely to be in Church because it is
where we are supposed to be on Sunday morning. The “stuff” we DO as Orthodox
Christians has a purpose.
The purpose of the Orthodox Christian way of life is to
train ourselves to spend eternity with God. Whether it is the Sunday Divine
Liturgy, fasting in honor of the Holy Apostles (we’re doing this one now....)
or scheduling a time for Holy Confession with our Spiritual Father, all this “stuff”
helps us to prepare our souls for eternity with God in heaven. The Orthodox
Christian way of life presumes we desire to be with God in heaven. The Orthodox
Christian way of life shouldn’t be tolerated; it should be embraced with
zeal......IF we desire to be with God. If not.....
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