More than acquittal and justification Salvation can not be explained in legalistic terms of acquittal and justification, for salvation is much more than simply being forgiven and getting into heaven. The close tie between faith and works, when it comes to the Orthodox view of salvation, is not about being
The persecution of Christians in the Middle East It’s a pity there is virtually no meaningful or informative conversation taking place in the United States about the widespread persecution of Christians throughout the Middle East. Muslims in America scream and howl at the slightest provocations, yet in the face of
Becoming the Image of Christ to others If we be true to our calling as the children of God, we must live in imitation of Christ. We must imitate His meekness and humility. We must love others just as did He. We must be willing to be transformed, and made
The humble co-suffering Saviour must be seen in His Church For Orthodoxy to thrive into the next century, we must see a return to the very roots of our faith, where the Church proclaims the Good News of Christ in all its purity, and centers herself in the mystical and
Empathy allows us to see through the other persons eyes I recently came across a study done by Arthur P. Ciaramicoli and Katherine Ketcham, published in a book titled, “The Power of Empathy”. In this book the authors discuss the attitudes and actions that contribute to empathy, which they believe
The most arduous of all ascetic practices St Gregory of Sinai spoke of the effort involved in prayer, when he wrote, “No bodily or spiritual activity without pain or toil ever brings fruit to him who practices it, because ‘the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it
Orthodoxy is about Christ, not religion Orthodoxy is not a religion, but a way of life that is centered in Jesus Christ. Orthodoxy, as a way of life, has the cure to what ails us and can return us to that state of wholeness that was God’s original intent for
Imparting the faith as a missionary people Two Byzantine brothers, Saints Cyril and Methodius, brought Orthodox Christianity to the Slavs in the ninth century. The brilliance of Eastern Orthodox missionary outreach, as opposed to that of the Latin Church, was in the very use of the vernacular. These great saints
Climate change is a reality that is ignored to our peril We of the twenty-first century have given ourselves over to consuming addictions more than any time in history. Even a casual look at how we live our lives makes it abundantly clear that we are so caught up in
Correcting the stumbling of others The use of force in the correction of those who are living in opposition to the laws of God is often a temptation for Christians, yet it must be remembered that the sins of others is better corrected by lovingly demonstrating their value in God’s