Thirsting for God 19 – To Be Orthodox
Posted: January 28th, 2011 | Author: Scott | Filed under: Thirsting for God | Tags: christianity, Orthodox, prayer | 1 Comment »This series is reflecting on Matthew Gallatin’s book, Thirsting for God in a Land of Shallow Wells.
Matthew closes his book with a short chapter outlining his hope that Protestant and Orthodox believers alike will not merely believe that Orthodox theology is true, but actually learn to live an Orthodox life — to be Orthodox. I think two sentences from the chapter strike to the core of his prayer.
The misconception is this: Christianity is essentially a faith that one can individually interpret and apply as one pleases.
If there is one thing that must be learned by the Protestant seeking truth, and the Orthodox desiring to live the fullness of the Faith, it is this: We have no right to judge the Faith. Rather, it is the Faith that must judge us.
Me? I’m not particularly there yet. When your formation has been as relativistic and pluralistic as mine, that voice at the back of your head analyzing and critiquing every belief and every practice never really stops speaking. I’m so relieved to actually find a Christian tradition within which the things I know I believe and have experienced about God fit, but I’m not at a place where I have any desire to be Orthodox. I don’t really know why. It’s where I am at the moment. But then I also rarely feel the need to rush to any sort of resolution on things like this, so that may be part of it as well.
Fascinating series – resonates especially with me as I was raised sbc left Christianity and later (40s) became Orthodox. I understand the hesitation and the draw. But man do I feel like I reached the end – in the form of a new beginning.
Anyway, keep blogging and Christ be with you.