There are a few resources that have helped me recently as I’ve struggled with the witness of The Church and the politics of the day. One such resource is the writings of Fr. Stephen Freeman, a retired Archpriest in the Orthodox Church of America (OCA).
When speaking with seekers – those who are asking questions about the Orthodox faith – it’s important early on to be sure that they are not in search of the perfect Church. The One, True Church means something quite distinct from perfect. A good read through Orthodox history (which for a thousand years is just “Church history”) refuses to give up an ideal century – the mark and measure for reform. Any student of the New Testament has to admit that there are no Letters to the Perfect.
While tension does still exist in my mind around current events and how believers respond to them, what I do have is an understanding that these sorts of tensions have always been present in the church. To accept that is to be free of the expectation that members of the church will behave exactly how I would expect them to in my mind.
Source: glory2godforallthings.com
