It is Better to be Outside of Heaven with God than to be in Heaven without Him

The futile search for a “happiness” that is found only in the material world leads in the long run to unhappiness. Even at current the frenzied rush to purportedly “keep people safe and healthy” reveals the tragedy of fallen existence. All we have, all of humanity's “well-being” and “happiness” is found in that which is …

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Right Theology Without Right Praxis is Dead

“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22). True faith is both in word - theology, faith – and in deed - work, practice, application. Thus, there is no right faith devoid of right practice. St. Paul also echos this spiritual reality when he teaches “Not …

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The State and Religious Affairs

“Another area of discussion was Religion. This is an avowed atheist speaking. And he said: 'Religion is not necessarily bad. A lot of people seem to need religion, with its mysteries and rituals – so they will have religion.' But the major religions of today have to be changed because they are not compatible with …

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The Mysterion That Transcends Seclorum

“And He [the Father] put in subjection all things under His [the Son] feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the Church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all things in all” (Eph. 1: 22-23). It seems fitting at the moment to put forth a very brief …

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Uniformity of Behavior, Reconstruction, and Such Musings

The Reconstruction. Перестройка. Gray high-rise apartment buildings loomed in the gray overcast sky. Through the dust-covered window of the charter van, I watched as we passed an overcrowded electric trolley bus which was leaning heavily to one side. I wondered how the trolley was even driving … at the time it seemed more like a …

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The Masters of Death Are Now the Ministers of Life?

“If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain by the sword, with the sword he must be slain” (Rev. 13:10). True Christianity calls a person to total faith in God. A Christian must believe wholeheartedly that his life and his bodily death are in God's hands. …

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The Coronavirus, Fear as Control, and Fearlessness

“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, He it is that doth go with thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee” Deut. 31:6. Fear and panic are tools of the devil to manipulate humanity. When humanity “materializes,” that is lives for …

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The Church of Ephesus: Praise and Rebuke

“To the angel of the Church in Ephesus write: 'These things says the One Who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One Who walks about in the midst of the seven golden lampstands” (Rev. 2:1). According to the Patristic understanding, the seven stars represent bishops and the lampstands the churches. Christ the …

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The New Epoch and the Loss of Personhood and Self-knowledge

“We must speak with children about the dangers of temptation. Toward the end of the 1950s, a new epoch dawned in Europe, and two misfortunes came quickly upon us: the post-Christian era and globalism, along with the erosion of faith and the crumbling of morality. Now that I have reached old age, I have begun …

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