Orthodoxy as True Life.

        Saint Eirenaios taught that the glory of God is a person fully alive and that true life is the experience of God. “If I love the Lord, how can I let even a shadow of evil into my heart?” asked Saint John of Kronstadt. Christ commanded that we should love one another as He loved us. He promised that if we obey His teachings, He and the Father will come to dwell in our hearts by the power of the Spirit. Saint Isaac the Syrian held that hell was created not by God but by His creatures and their refusal of His love, and that God equally loves those in hell, but His love is inoperative where it is rejected. Orthodoxy as true life testifies to the most beautiful and sublime teachings worthy of the message and spirit of Christ. Called to ascetic struggle against all personal, social and cosmic wickedness, we nevertheless rely on the saving grace and power of God. Called to obedience, we practice obedience in the spirit of Christ’s love, truth and righteousness. Called to “theosis,” we know that the way to it is through service to the least of the brothers and sisters by fervent prayer and humble action.

        The challenge is to achieve what the saints call “bioma” — the personal experience of Christ testified by love and humility — over against the dangers of secularism, nominalism, minimalism and hypocrisy. Secularism is worshiping the gods of the present age, while being totally indifferent or even hostile toward the true God. Minimalism is lukewarm Christianity to suit our selfish interests and convenience. Nominalism is being a Christian in name only, a colossal hoax. Hypocrisy is religiosity without spirituality, a pharisaical attachment to external forms while denying the inner substance of the faith. St. Symeon the New Theologian writes that all efforts that do not attain to love in a contrite spirit are in vain. The challenge is to transform secular life into spiritual life, formal faith into living faith, religious zeal into divine love by God’s grace.