Translated material
Christian Citizen
For the first time, a column of Christian believers joined the “March of Millions”.
Some Orthodox priests are puzzled by what is happening, others give it a cautious positive assessment, and for the Russian Christian Union, the appearance of a Christian column at protest rallies is a joyful event, since it marks the beginning of the formation of Christian politics in Russia.
It is wrong to imagine the Church as an organization like some kind of party. The difference in natures also implies a difference in actions. Any public action is always a response to events that occur in the life of society. Here the Church cannot be separated from its people, especially since in the Orthodox vision people are the Church. If a person becomes a deputy, a minister, or anyone else, this does not mean that from that second he ceases to be a Christian and separates himself from his Church.
Orthodoxy has knowledge about man in the light of the experience that was revealed to us in the incarnation of Christ, in whose image we were created. Christian anthropology (the science of man) allows us to find answers to the most complex questions concerning all aspects of our existence. It is this knowledge that gives us the most important guidelines and paths that do not allow us to accept anything that distorts the image of a person. After all, by distorting ourselves, we introduce this distortion into our idea of the Creator.
Without delving into theology, we note that social life in all its diversity should be of interest to a Christian as a field that he must cultivate. We do not set the task of building Heaven on earth, and this is impossible. But to try to bring this life into a worthy state, to demand from the authorities to be decent, to participate in the creation of society - a Christian is called by the entire content of his faith.
His Holiness the Patriarch noted in his speech delivered at the “World Russian People’s Council”: “Now, like 400 years ago, they demand from us that we do not interfere in worldly affairs, we are told not to meddle in society with our faith, ethics, culture . We are asked to withdraw into ourselves, supposedly warning us against becoming worldly. We are warned that if we do not shut up, it will be worse for us, that in this case, our churches will be desecrated and our icons desecrated.”
It can be stated with regret that much of what the Church could have done over the past twenty years towards “acquiring” its people was not done. We wasted both our energy and people’s trust. We built beautiful facades, said a lot of words, and lost people. We continue to lose now...
Here is the word of the wonderful Priest, former journalist, Dmitry Sverdlov: “I know exactly what we could do. But we will never do it again. Because once again we were late. Remaining impartial to movements, factions and party building - organize a short prayer service on the square near Abai. All you need is a couple of icons and a couple of priests. Or metropolitans. The prayer service is not about driving someone away, or, conversely, calling someone in (I don’t know which is worse). Simply - about the Motherland. About you and me. About “the authorities and her army” - let everyone understand for themselves as best they can, let everyone put their own meanings into these prayers. Prayer for everything to be fine. So that no one gets their head smashed, neither a riot policeman nor a demonstrator. So that the wolf lives with the lamb, and the kid lies with the leopard. So that the calf and the young lion, and especially the ox, are all at one. And purely about the Little Child leading them. It was a quote from Isaiah. Seems. Or from Abai?
There are many similar words and feelings within the Church. The Church is not a barracks, which means there are many opinions in It: from moderate to extremely radical. I have no recipes for how to cure our church illnesses. But I'm glad that there are many voices that speak about what is hidden and important to me. I am glad when I hear in the words of my Patriarch supporting the aspirations of my people: “We should not avoid or be afraid of civil action, there should be neither fear nor doubt on this path, for the protection of our flock and the creation of national life on Christian principles is unchangeable duty of our Church at all times. The Russian Church has always been and will be with its people.”
Society expects “human” words, humanity itself, from the church. Not the official, dead language, but real words that would come from love for a person. And within the Church we also need a similar word. Ultimately, only such an attitude can give birth to community and real civic action.