Category: Culture

Lost in Translation

Engaging in conversations about the Orthodox faith – with others born and nurtured in the West – I sometimes feel that something is “lost in translation.” I say, “Church,” and something else comes to the listener’s mind: either something Roman or something Protestant, perhaps Anglican. I begin to explain that Orthodoxy cannot be explained or…

June 10, 2007
Hope and the Heart – Fr. Dmitri Staniloae

The following comes from Fr. Dmitri Staniloae’s Orthodox Spirituality. (pg. 178) You have the experience of the congestion [crowdedness] of the heart when you are disturbed, and “ample room” when you are peaceful. But uneasiness, in regard to the future is the fruit of uncertainty, just as peace is the fruit of certainty. Care is…

June 8, 2007
Back Home (sort of)

I have spent the day traveling down to South Carolina for a short family visit, and to connect with one of my daughters to help her in buying a car (just the joys of being a parent). My last couple of posts have been dealing with our relationship to place – in settings such as…

May 30, 2007
Small Things, Great Hopes

On the surface it was not a world-shaking event. A friend of the parish loaned me a DVD last week. The DVD was a Russian DVD – with English subtitles. Again, not a world-shaking event. Thus, let me take a few minutes to explain why I felt the earth move. The movie in question is…

May 28, 2007
Putting Things Back Together

One of the most striking features of the day of Pentecost, in the Scriptural account, is the emphasis on diversity. The mission to the Gentiles is a major theme in Luke’s writings (which includes Acts) and thus Pentecost has great importance for him. The disciples gathered in an upper room as they had so many times…

May 27, 2007
Keeping the End of Things in its Place – and a Little Bob Dylan

I started to entitle this, “Keeping Eschatology in its Place,” but then I remembered that I should eschew obfuscation. 🙂 But the doctrine of the Last Things, generally referred to as “Eschatology,” is deeply important for our lives as Christians – primarily because our faith is an eschatological faith. There it is in the Creed,…

May 20, 2007
All the Fullness of Christ

When you read this you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; that is, how the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body,…

May 18, 2007
Truth and the Icon

Icons are very peculiar things as art goes. Those who do not understand them often find their “flat,” and almost “stylized” presentation of human beings and events rather stitled or off-putting. The non-Orthodox, I believe, realize that there’s more to an icon than meets the eye, but are not sure where to begin or how…

May 12, 2007
Frederica Mathewes-Green on Autism

Khouria Frederica shares these very poignant thoughts on her autistic grandson. I heartily recommend it.

May 10, 2007
The Problem of Goodness

From my first class in Philosophy 101 in college, the so-called “Problem of Evil” has been tossed up as the “clincher” in arguments against the existence of God. How can a good God allow innocent people to suffer? The most devastating case ever made on the subject was in Dostoevsky’s Brothers Karamazov. Ivan Karamazov, in…

May 10, 2007

Bless, Father. How do we suffer well? How do we suffer without de-moralization? Without de-moralizing our children? What do we…

Peace, Robert. It might not be helpful but I imagine just acknowledging the trauma is the first step.

Father Stephen wrote: I do not pray for collapse (though I suspect that such a time will come). I pray…

Robert, you in particular will be in my prayers tonight.

Janine, Our whole culture suffers from deep wounds – particularly if you think of them under the heading of “de-moralization.”…