Today is a day I am just venting.
One of the unfortunate drawbacks in our electronic information age is the cover of anonymity often abused by armchair "experts" that tend to be insulting, adolescent and non-constructive.
Fr. Maximos Mcintyre is one such person having to deal with such childish behavior. Fr. Maximos is a very Godly man and a very good friend of mine (we'll forgive him for being Orthodox <grin>). He maintains a wonderful blog, The Orthodox Voice, showing great wisdom and piety at a young age.
He has recently been the target of many messages he modestly refers to as "hate mail." Having seen some examples, these venomous missives I can see why he calls them as such.
It is expected that those of different faiths, of course, have different spiritual understandings and/or interpretations as to how a faith is formally practiced. To simply spout unprovoced verbal mistreatment not only shows immaturity and lack of Christian behaviour (for the other Christians that is - some of it has been puerile anti-Christian rant) , but also proof they do not have much faith in their own beliefs to uphold in any mature discourse or open dialogue.
How have been Fr. Maximos' responses? Nothing but spiritually and emotionally mature rejoinders. He serves as a great example of what once was said by the Eastern Orthodox St. Seraphim of Sarov, "Maintain a spirit of peace and you will save a thousand souls."
How's that for putting the hate mailers to shame?
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