Find the Eye of the Storm

00:00 Intro/Back from China
03:56 Journalism in China & The West
09:51 Harmony, rancor, journalism, editorial & social media
19:49 Saint Paul to The Church in Rome on quiet living
23:07 Vacation vs daily life in a place
27:29 Nominalism cannot be the path to social harmony
35:57 To love neighbor & enemy we must participate in God's holiness
40:12 Humble repentance is the path to a just society
43:11 Christianity isn't convenient, look at Syria
50:10 Models of church & state
53:20 No such thing as Orthodox government
54:54 The Church is perfect, stop trying to defend it from itself
58:55 The is no invisible church, there is only The Church
63:45 Two ways to try to be above the bishops
65:27 No, we can't all just get along/Closing


A huge part of the problem with "politics" in The United States is both "sides" have the same underlying assumption: we can't live the good life until everyone agrees with us & the laws reflect our agreement.

Fr Symeon's recent trip to visit his family in China provides an opportunity to poke holes in this assumption by discussing the ways in which, simply as a practical example, we can see people living, as St Paul said "...aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands..." in a country most Americans would insist is about as far from what we want our society to be as is possible. Well, if people can do it in China, then Orthodox Christians can do it in the USA, whether the political winds are going their way, or against them.

And if we can walk in the way of the life of faithfulness no matter the political climate, then why are we spending so much time getting wound up about it? Maybe what it boils down to, is we're afraid of inconvenience.


Reference materials for this episode: 

St John Chrysostom’s commentary on Romans
 -12:9-21 - https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/210221.htm & https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/210222.htm
 - 13:1-7 - https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/210223.htm


Scripture citations for this episode:

Romans
 - 12:9-21 live in harmony
 - 13:1-7 be good citizens
1 Corinthians
 - 6:1-11 lawsuits
Ephesians
 - 6:5-9 no slave rebellions
Philemon
 - no slave rebellions


#china #syria  #journalism #editorial #quietlife

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