I
KNOWING THE CHRISTIAN EAST
AN EXPERIENCE OF FAITH
5. "In the study of
revealed truth East and West have used different methods and approaches in
understanding and confessing divine things. It is hardly surprising, then, if
sometimes one tradition has come nearer to a full appreciation of some aspects
of a mystery of revelation than the other, or has expressed them better. In
such cases, these various theological formulations are often to be considered
complementary rather than conflicting."(10)
Pondering over
the questions, aspirations and experiences I have mentioned, my thoughts turn
to the Christian heritage of the East. I do not intend to describe that heritage
or to interpret it: I listen to the Churches of the East, which I know are
living interpreters of the treasure of tradition they preserve. In
contemplating it, before my eyes appear elements of great significance for
fuller and more thorough understanding of the Christian experience. These
elements are capable of giving a more complete Christian response to the
expectations of the men and women of today. Indeed, in comparison to any other
culture, the Christian East has a unique and privileged role as the original
setting where the Church was born. The Christian tradition of the East implies
a way of accepting, understanding and living faith in the Lord Jesus. In this
sense it is extremely close to the Christian tradition of the West, which is
born of and nourished by the same faith. Yet it is legitimately and admirably
distinguished from the latter, since Eastern Christians have their own way of
perceiving and understanding, and thus an original way of living their
relationship with the Savior. Here, with respect and trepidation, I want to
approach the act of worship which these Churches express, rather than to
identify this or that specific theological point which has emerged down the
centuries in the polemical debates between East and West.
From the beginning,
the Christian East has proved to contain a wealth of forms capable of assuming
the characteristic features of each individual culture, with supreme respect
for each particular community. We can only thank God with deep emotion for the
wonderful variety with which he has allowed such a rich and composite mosaic of
different tesserae to be formed.
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