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In the name of Christ Jesus, the time for Unity is now.
All theological debating aside, all biases aside, all prejudices aside, it is quite heavy on my heart to see the EO and OO reunite. The chasm fixed between us by monks and self-professed theologians continues to damage us and work against the Gospel. Christ Jesus said, "may they be one, You and I are one," when He was praying in the garden before His Passion. If I may lay aside all big talk and pretenious language so often used by hierarchs and clergy who are obviously just skirting the real issues: Brothers and Sisters why are we lying to ourselves and each other and to Christ our God by professing that we are one Faith when we do not commune as one faith? Why is it when we read of the faithful of ancient times coming to their bishops and correcting them on theology and ecclesiology our hearts boil over with sweet emotion, but when it's time for us to step up to the plate, we naively say, "well, our bishops will work it out, that's what they do?" Why do we tell our family and friends that our Orthodox Faith is one and in One Church, but now we find ourselves being asked by our non-Orthodox family and friends, "so if you're Coptic Orthodox, what's Russian Orthodox?" or something else of the like? What do you say then? Do you not find it strange that we have to explain to them that we are separated because of a 1560 year old anathema that was the result of a misunderstanding?? Do you not find this utterly shameful, if not sinful???
I'm not proposing we disobey our bishops nor do I suggest we disrepect them in any way--God forbid! I say we pray for them, pray for all our hierarchs, and I say we go to each others' churches when there is not a communion service so we can be exposed to and learn each others' services. One day, hopefully soon, we will be facing the clashing of two very different liturgical traditions, no matter how closely related they may be, good luck with EO and OO deacons trying to know what to do in each others' churches. In that same day, our hierarchs may call on a vast number of lay people to be involved in the reunification process in various capacities, and knowing each other will be infinitely helpful.
I also propose that make it known to our hierarchs that we support a glorious and God-pleasing reunification by banding together into a visible group that will be encouragement for them--if the OO is like the EO in this case, it is a group of "old guard" made up of a fair number of disgruntled monks, priests (though this is less common), deacons (also less common), and (especially) lay people who are so focused on, "well, we excommunicated them for a reason 1560 years ago, so it should stay that way." I say we form ourselves together, and in local chapters too, and create a network--an active network--where unity happens by us working together to organize youth events, social justice programmes, Gospel outreach, young adult events, married couples' retreats, etc. so that when our hierarchs look at their people, they are actually seeing one Body reforming, and not just two bodies that talk big about it.
Is there anyone ready for this? If so, send me a message to my account and start praying for reunion, and after Great and Holy Pascha, we will begin to act.
I wanted to bring this up now so we can also start to pray more intensely for this during this season of fasting and prayer, but that's also the reason I ask we not actively do anything other than pray until after Pascha, so we can focus on repentance in this season, and to work out our salvation with fear and trembling before the Lord.
I'm not proposing we disobey our bishops nor do I suggest we disrepect them in any way--God forbid! I say we pray for them, pray for all our hierarchs, and I say we go to each others' churches when there is not a communion service so we can be exposed to and learn each others' services. One day, hopefully soon, we will be facing the clashing of two very different liturgical traditions, no matter how closely related they may be, good luck with EO and OO deacons trying to know what to do in each others' churches. In that same day, our hierarchs may call on a vast number of lay people to be involved in the reunification process in various capacities, and knowing each other will be infinitely helpful.
I also propose that make it known to our hierarchs that we support a glorious and God-pleasing reunification by banding together into a visible group that will be encouragement for them--if the OO is like the EO in this case, it is a group of "old guard" made up of a fair number of disgruntled monks, priests (though this is less common), deacons (also less common), and (especially) lay people who are so focused on, "well, we excommunicated them for a reason 1560 years ago, so it should stay that way." I say we form ourselves together, and in local chapters too, and create a network--an active network--where unity happens by us working together to organize youth events, social justice programmes, Gospel outreach, young adult events, married couples' retreats, etc. so that when our hierarchs look at their people, they are actually seeing one Body reforming, and not just two bodies that talk big about it.
Is there anyone ready for this? If so, send me a message to my account and start praying for reunion, and after Great and Holy Pascha, we will begin to act.
I wanted to bring this up now so we can also start to pray more intensely for this during this season of fasting and prayer, but that's also the reason I ask we not actively do anything other than pray until after Pascha, so we can focus on repentance in this season, and to work out our salvation with fear and trembling before the Lord.
Comments
also - please pray for us as we have a stream of martyrs and we feel the pain of their families.
I will remember the Holy New Martyrs of Egypt and their families, and that Christ may again show His Church victorious over the enemy.
"Christ is in our midst!
"I am a Christian of the Orthodox Faith who is passionate about the healing of the schisms of the churches. For 1560 years, the "Eastern Orthodox" (EO) and "Oriental Orthodox" (OO) have lived apart from each other, not experiencing the beauty and glory of communion together. The initiative that was active for some years that was designed to work toward unity between the two bodies has fizzled out, likely because of the major steps taking place in the EO leading up the Great and Holy Council, however the Great and Holy Council is a reason for our bodies to be united again. In 1990, both the EO and OO sat together and worked out theology and, without surprise, we agreed that we share the same faith--we are unified in faith. However, we are still not in communion for various reasons that require patience but extreme endurance in pressing forward in the struggle for God-pleasing reunification.
"I ask you to pray with me for the healing of the schism between the EO and the OO, and that you join me in forming a visible body of lay people to support and pray for our bishops during this time. More thoughts will obviously stream from here, but I just wished to commend these opening thoughts and words to you all.
"Forgive me, a sinner."
I encourage you all who read this to please, please, please consider joining us in this. If you want to, please "Reply" to this post, and (if I remember diligently) I will add you to the list, as it were, and I will be sending out information after Great and Holy Pascha. This is not for me or you, but for us, and for "our fathers and brethren, the Orthodox who have departed this life before us who here and in all the world lie asleep in the Lord," and for all the Orthodox Christians yet to join us, and most of all, for our Lord, God, and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Forgive me.