Priest with a human face

About the book of Archpriest Alexei Uminsky and Eteri Chalandzia "Man and the Church: the path of freedom and love." - M .: Alpina - Nonfiction, 2013

No, no, “a priest with a human face” is not only about the author of the book, Father Alexei Uminsky. Although about him, of course, too. But first of all, our progressive compatriots do not know about the many ministers of the cursed Orthodox Church, about whom they do not know, do not know. And most importantly, they don't want to listen. This is partly understandable - and not their fault; turn on the political box, you will certainly come across an evil monk who "burns" the heart with napalm, and you click on some Orthodox TV, and you will be presented with a sluggish archpriest father, who has long been tired of life. Though spit and run; no one will listen to them from outside. But at the same time, there is also our own laziness and hipster self-satisfied indifference: we do not want to know what the real Church stands on, how the real life of the parish is built, and what happens in distant dioceses, because we know in advance: there is complete darkness and savagery. Unless some politicized priest will go against the grain of the church authorities and glorify world democracy; that's what we'll probably listen to. But only let him swear properly; We don't need complexity, we need certainty. How the Church Metropolitan Bureau needs it. Only give one a denunciation of the damned liberals, and the other - stupid priests. The exchange of party signals has long been the main way of communication within any environment, whether left or right.

Meanwhile, in the Church, as it should be for any mobile institution, different things are happening today. And the terrible thing in plain sight. And the beauty is that no one cares. It's just that on this side of the church fence there is almost no one to listen, and on the other side there is practically no one to speak. Father Aleksey Uminsky is one of those few priests who does not want to be a professional whistleblower, but will not hide from the truth either. Who thinks critically, but loves heartily. Maybe that's why modern intellectuals trust him. Although he does not straighten out anything in his obviously difficult position, does not simplify or politicize the conversation, just to please the free audience.

Here is his book, made together with the journalist and writer Eteri Chalandzia. What is it about? About how man and God speak. About how art breaks through to the spiritual foundations. About how the worship of saints can turn into semi-pagan cults. About what the bandits were looking for in faith. About how you can bring the priest to the mortal sin of suicide. About how the church people should have acted in the history of pussy. And again about how to talk with God, remaining human and not losing a sense of freedom. The whole patchwork of topics, the whole fan of reflections are closed on one through idea, or rather, on two. The Church is not a party, but a family; the main thing in it is love, not ideology. And Christ is at the center of everything. Everything else - insofar as.

If you stand firmly on this foundation, everything will turn out to be not terrible and secondary. Whether to be a monarchist or a democrat, a fatherland-loving conservative or a cosmopolitan aspiring to the world, whether to accept modern art or reject it is the personal choice of everyone, in no way connected with the basis of faith. The only thing that is forbidden in such a system of views is the feeling of horror. Horror before modernity, before doubting yesterday's doctrines, before a boss or one's own environment; fear of being personally responsible for one's own choice and looking at life with open eyes. If there is no such fear, then you can easily talk to those who do not really like "all these clerics." Not adjusting to them, not sacrificing anything in your position, but also not screeching through your teeth: “What else do you need this for?” About confession and communion, about the meaning of the wedding and priestly duty, about obedience and the measure of human freedom. About everything that a progressive reader would like to ask about, but there is practically no one.

As a result, a bridge appears over the main modern abyss, between the educated class of able-bodied citizens and the mysterious world of the church community. Not that it is too strong and fundamental, rather a pontoon, suitable for the time of the flood, but another is now impossible. And the first to cross this unsteady bridge, as befits a good shepherd, is the priest, who walks towards us. With complete confidence and quiet fearlessness.

It would be foolish not to take a counter step towards him.