Posted by Tom Kanelos
on 8/18/2009, 10:15 am, in reply to "Met Philip Retaliates"
The reason I posted this is to make a point. Throughout the past few years that I have been coming to St. Andrew site (and other sites which are a little less tolerant of opposing views) there has been this perception that somehow Met. Philip was the great visionary of Orthodox Unity and was THE great hope for the future. The reality he is a flawed human being who has done MANY great things for the Orthodox Church in the US and some not so great as has become evident to all over the past 6 months or so.
Now many are looking to Met. Jonah in the same way. While we may not see the same type of behvior from Met. Jonah that we have seen from Met. Philip, the fact is that he is a flawed human being and will eventually make mistakes or take action which dissapoint people. In fact we ahve already seen some inappropriate and divisive commenst that Met. Jonah was humble enough to withdraw.
The fact remains that the best way to build up the Church is to build up ourselves and our parishes. The vast majority of the shortcomings and failures of the church in the US are local in nature. They are not a result of overseas intevention or mismanaged funds or vindictive primates. The failures are OUR failures.
Administrative unity will be achieved ovr time but more cooperation and panjurisdictional programs and interaction can occur right now. Worshipping in parishes of another jurisdiction, taking our children to other such parishes. Having sessions in Sunday school where the children visit a neighbooring Orthodox parish which is of a different jurisdiction, attending pan-jurisdictional services and events etc.
This is the thing that really burns my "you-know-what", we have many pan-jurisdictional services and events in the Chicago metro area. We also have many of the OCL (a greoup that CLAIMS to promote Jurisdictional Unity) leadershiop in the area. At the risk of being judgemental (which I guess I am) this OCL leadership does not participate even by attending these types of events. Jolynn, am I wrong? People who SAY they ant unity need to ACT like they want unity.
Until we stop worrying about the power and how to force the hierarchs into some kind of premature unity, and start worrying about improving the spirutal life in our homes and parishes, we will acheive nothing.
There is no hierarch who will be the great visionary and lead us to unity. It wasn't Met. Philip (in spite of many on this site who thought it was) and it is not Met. Jonah. First of all, lets stop putting this grand responsibiliy (to correct a 150 year long anomaly virtually overnight) on their shoulders and second of all, we must realize that they cannot do it alone or forcibly in any case.
Responses:
