The Lord said: “You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you, hypocrites, cannot discern the signs of the times” (Matthew 16:2-4).
In a letter found on the “Orthodox Life” blog, Metropolitan Joseph casts a critical eye on the current zeitgeist, writing:
“We are not pessimists, and we are not prophets of doom and gloom. However, we are also not prophets of cheerfulness and positive-thinking. Our Lord instructed us to discern the “signs of the times”. Thus, it is always our task to be “critical” of modern society. We can not be members of a large group or movement, or any fad or mob. The only ultimate allegiance we have, obviously, is the Body of Christ. That allegiance alone determines our philosophy, our outlook and our ethic. “
He continues:
| When there is no dining room table at home, when there is the feeling of unending appointments of things to do, when there is the wild acts of lust and anger, when there comes the certain knowledge that the American Dream is more dream than reality, when the price tag of materialism comes as an enormous burden of debt, and a constant concern about the interest rates and the stock market – our families and faithful are too anxious to be pessimistic.It is our task to resist the temptation of pessimism, and to lead them out of the passionate web of deceit that binds them. It is our task to lead them into the maturity of sainthood. It is our task to lead them into beauty and communion.It is our task of our Orthodox ministry to help our families and especially our children become human again, if they have lost their way. And if they haven’t yet, our task is to keep them forever in the Orthodox Church, so they might remain human.And that can only be done in the Body of Christ. |
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Filed under: Christianity, Modernity, Orthodox Christianity, Religion
