Monday, August 16, 2010

"True Faith"

In our Liturgical Service,after communion, we as Orthodox Christians say "We have seen the true light,we have received the true faith worshiping the undivided Trinity who has saved."
But what exactly is the true light and the true faith?
For me Orthodoxy is my true light.
I have gained in faith many folds and have become a better person because of the beliefs I practice and hold.
But you know there are many types of Christian religions.
I feel no one belongs to a religion or faith and does not believe they also have the truth before them.
In the Muslim religion they believe that it is wrong to criticize another sect of your religion.
Now this can be a good and bad thing.
The bad thing is it allows the off track radical churches to do things that you as true believers do not up hold as honest doctrine and teachings and can label an entire religion as radical and fanatical.
The good thing about this sort of idea is it forces you to respect those who are not in your sect.
We as Christians have a hard time trying to understand that just because we all don't worship or believe every thing another Christian group believes that we are not all part of the same family.
Sometimes I think we get so hung up on splitting hairs we forget that we are all followers of the same person,Jesus Christ.
We worry to much about how the mother of God died,was she a virgin all her life,did Jesus have brothers,were they step or real brothers,was Jesus married.
And if that wasn't enough then we start to criticize how other churches are set up and run.Do they have bishops,priest,ministers,church councils,women leaders,men leaders,gay leaders.
Are their churches opulent or plain? Do they have a choir or cantor? And on and on it goes.
It is all to much and it is all unnecessary all this does is divide us into groups of "I'm right" "your wrong" and "we have nothing in common".
I know what I believe and I know why I believe it.
If another church chooses to do things different then me does that make them less then me and my church?
We need to understand that no one belongs to a church to believe that what they are taught is not the true faith.
I was once told that there are so many different types of Christian groups because there are so many types of Christians and we need to find what fits us.
When we tell another group they are wrong because they don't believe exactly as we do then we are,what Jesus called "Lording it over",thinking we are better then another group.
This is not humility this is arrogance.
How will we be united in Christ if we are constantly at odds with each other.
Jesus did not die on a cross for us so we could bicker.He died so we could be saved.
In order to be saved we need to believe and feel that where we are as christian followers is the best place for us to be at this time.
You get out of God what you are willing to put in and you get out of religion the same way.
I read all sorts of different books by different christian writers and every book I have read gave me a clearer understanding of what I felt in my heart was an awakening moment.
We can learn and gain from each others religions if we understand that tolerance is needed in order to have true Christians fellowship.
You will never convert others over to your ways of religion or faith if you are tearing them down and exalting your self.
Jesus said that the healthy do not need a doctor the sick do.
There are varying degrees of sickness in this world just like there are varying degrees of doctors.
We need to find the physician who is right for us and sometimes it takes many visits to many different specialist until we find the one who works best for what we are ailing from.

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