„Prefer pe cineva educat.
Mi-e frică de sfinți“
Cu câțiva ani în urmă am fost
abordat de un student. Foarte șovăielnic
dar cu o dorință
intensă de a găsi răspunsuri, vrând să creadă însă nu putea. De mulți ani încerca și căuta răspunsuri, însă
fără rost.
A vorbit cu profesori și cu oameni instruiți, dar setea sa pentru ceva
concret a rămas nepotolită. A auzit de mine și
s-a decis să-mi împărtășească
nevoia sa existențială.
Mi-a cerut dovezi științifice care să dovedească
existența lui Dumnezeu.
„Știi integrale sau ecuații diferențiale?“, l-am întrebat.
„Din păcate nu“, a răspuns
el. „Sunt un filozof“.
„Păcat! Pentru că știam o astfel de dovadă“,
i-am spus eu, desigur glumind. S-a simțit
stingherit și a
tăcut pentru câteva clipe.
„Uite – i-am spus – îmi pare
rău că te-am făcut să te simți
incomod. Însă Dumnezeu nu este o ecuație
sau o demonstrație
matematică. Dacă era așa,
toți cei educați ar fi crezut în El.
Trebuie să știi
că sunt și alte căi de a-L cunoaște pe Dumnezeu. Ai fost
vreodată în Muntele Athos? Sau ai întâlnit vreun ascet până acum?“
„Nu, părinte, mă gândesc să
merg, am auzit atât de multe. Dacă îmi spuneți,
plec și mâine într-acolo. Cunoașteți pe cineva învățat la care să merg și să-l întâlnesc?“
„Ce preferi? Pe cineva
educat care să te amețească
și mai mult sau un sfânt care
să te trezească?“, l-am întrebat.
„Prefer pe cineva educat.
Mi-e frică de sfinți“,
mi-a răspuns el.
„Credința este ceva ce ține de inimă. De ce să nu
încerci cu un sfânt. Cum te numești?“
Am întrebat.
„Gabriel“, a răspuns. L-am
trimis la un ascet. I-am descris calea și
i-am dat instrucțiunile
necesare. Chiar i-am și
schițat o hartă.
„Vei merge – i-am spus – și-l vei ruga același lucru. Sunt ateu, îi vei
spune, dar vreau să cred. Vreau o dovadă a existenței lui Dumnezeu“.
„Mi-e frică, mi-e rușine“, mi-a spus.
„De ce ți-e frică și rușine de un sfânt și nu-ți este frică și rușine de mine?“ L-am
întrebat. După câteva zile a mers și a găsit pe ascet în
grădina sa vorbind cu un tânăr. În
cealaltă parte alți
patru tineri stătea și așteptau. Printre ei, Gabriel
a găsit un loc unde să se așeze.
Nu mai mult de zece minute mai târziu bătrânul a terminat discuția cu tânărul acela.
„Ce mai faceți, băieți?“, a întrebat el. „Ați servit un loukoumaki (de
la loukoumi – rahat)? Ați băut apă?“
„Vă mulțumim“, au răspuns ei cu o
gratitudine convențională.
„Vino aici!“, a zis bătrânul
către Gabriel, aducându-l deoparte. „Eu o să iau apa iar tu i-a cutia cu rahat,
și vino aproape ca să-ți pot spune un secret: Este
în regulă ca cineva să fie ateu, dar să aibă numele unui Arhanghel și să fie și ateu? E prima dată când
întâlnesc așa
ceva“.
Prietenul noastru aproape că
a suferit un atac de cord când a auzit asta. Cum de îi știa numele? Cine îi spuse
despre problema lui? Ce voia de fapt bătrânul să-i spună?
„Părinte, pot să vorbesc puțin cu dumneavoastră?“ a
întrebat, abia putând să mai spună ceva.
„Uite ce e, se întunecă. Ia
cutia cu loukoumi, bea niște
apă și mergi la cea mai apropiată
mănăstire să rămâi peste noapte“.
„Părinte, vreau să vă
vorbesc, nu se poate?“
„Ce vrei să-mi spui, băiatul
meu? De ce ai venit?“
„Când m-a întrebat asta am
simțit respirația deschizându-mi-se
imediat“, mi-a spus. „Inima mi-a fost inundată cu credință. Lumea mea interioară a
fost încălzită. Dubiile mele au fost soluționate
fără niciun argument logic, fără nici o discuție, fără existența unui răspuns clar. Toate
«dacă», «de ce», «dar» au fost măturate imediat și tot ce a rămas a fost «cum» și «ce va fi de-acum»“.
Ceea ce învățații nu au putut răspunde
frământărilor sale, a putut face esența
picurată de un sfânt, ce absolvise doar patru clase ale școlii primare. Sfinții au un foarte mare
discernământ. Fac o operație
asupra ta iar tu nu simți
nici o durere. Îți
fac un transplant fără să-ți
deschidă abdomenul. Te ridică pe cele mai înalte înălțimi fără scări sau fără vreo
logică lumească. Plantează credință în
inima ta fără să-ți
obosească mintea.
Mitropolitul Nicolae al
Mesogaias și
Lavreotiki
Preluat de pe Blogul Sf. Munte Athos
Sursă (în engleză): Mystagogy, The Weblog Of JohnSanidopoulos
Sursă (în română): Doxologia
Traducerea şi adaptarea: Lucian Filip
*
"How I Came To Know
Christ" - Metropolitan Meletios of Nikopolis
His Eminence Meletios
(Kalamaras), who was Metropolitan of Nikopolis and Preveza in Greece, passed
from death to life on 21 June 2012 (see here). Metropolitan Meletios, who had
lately faced several serious health issues, was 79.
His Eminence was born in
1933 in Alagonia, Kalamata, and was a graduate in theology and in classical
literature-philosophy from the University of Athens. He was chosen and ordained
Metropolitan of Nikopolis and Preveza in 1980, having been ordained both deacon
and priest by the Metropolitan of Messenia, His Eminence Chrysostomos
(Daskalakis).
Metropolitan Meletios was
especially well known for his transformative work in the Metropolis of
Messenia, which was captured in the book, Beauty for Ashes: The Spiritual
Transformation of a Modern Greek Community, by Stephen R. Lloyd-Moffett (SVS
Press, 2009).
The book covers the
political history and religious character of the region of Nikopolis, from time
of the Apostle Paul in AD 63 to the arrival of Bishop Meletios in 1980.
With
great sensitivity, the book deals with the issue of sexual misconduct within
the church, the restoration of the local church to spiritual health, and the
renewed trust between church leaders and the laity. The book recounts how
Bishop Meletios, along with the local monastic community, applied his ancient
faith in a modern context to bring about social and religious change.
His Eminence was also well
known for his preaching in the Holy Metropolis of Messenia, and, in a broader
ecclesial context, he served as secretary to the Holy Synod on matters of
Interchurch Affairs. He himself authored several books, and he received an
award from the Theological Academy of Athens for his book The Fifth Ecumenical
Council.
Below is testimony in his
own words of how he came to embrace Christianity:
By Metropolitan Meletios of
Nikopolis
A. The Problem
1. When I was a teenager, I
always wanted to be happy. I wanted to be the happiest person in the world!
Still I wanted my life to have meaning! I looked for answers to the following
questions:
• Who am I?
• Why was I born?
• Why am I live?
• Where is the path of my
life leading me?
At the same time I always
wanted to be free. Even the most free person in the world! For me freedom was
not about doing whatever I wanted (this is something we can all do, and most
people do this.) I wanted to have the strength to do what I was indebted to do.
Because many people know what they have to do, but they do not have the strength
to do it, that is, they do not have the strength of will to say no to
irrational tendencies, which pushes them into "other things". For an
addict knows how tragic is his situation. He wants to correct it. But an
internal tendency makes him into a wreck! The same happens with various other
passions of the "flesh".
2. What a terrible thing,
for a young person to be totally free, to have a philosophy of absolute
freedom, and ultimately determine that he is a slave - indeed, in chains!
B. The Crooked Path
1. So I started looking for
an answer to this issue of internal freedom. And what do you say I found? I
found that all (or almost all) those who had some inner freedom, also had some
religiosity. So I had a big decision. I too took a similar step: I went to
church! But I did not like it. There I found nothing to comfort my soul.
Instead I felt very constricted!
I am a very practical man.
So when I see something that does not suit me, I put a full stop! In the matter
of "religion" I did something more. I not only put a full stop, but
something more. I put on a cross (. - +)!
2. Then I thought that the
most important thing is to succeed in life. To strive. To become famous. To
become a leader....
At university I realized
that the presidency of different years had many means, and played an important
role in the lives of university students and its life. So I decided to be a
candidate. I became president of the first year! I became an agent! Everyone
knew me! I organized Speeches, Lectures, Games, Sit-ins, Strikes. I
participated in meetings. And what was the benefit? After a while I began to
get bored.
One Monday I awoke with a
terrible headache. Sunday I had gone to bed too late. I thought: Five days on
the treadmill! I'm waiting for Friday to come! Why was "pleasure" the
three "free" nights: Friday, Saturday and Sunday! And
"ptooey" from the beginning!
3. Until then all the young
men thought of me as the "personification" of determination and joy!
But things were not so. I knew that I was like a boat on the ocean waves.
Circumstances, situations and emotions, not being in control of them at all,
were taking me where they wanted. And my life was hell! And the worst? Then I
did not know anyone who could give me beneficial words. And even if there was,
his words would not benefit. They would not suffice! Because more than nice
words I needed the strength (which is needed!) to put them into practice. And
this strength I could not find anywhere.
In this situation, I began
to think to myself:
"Is there a more honest
man than me trying to find the right way, trying to find the truth?"
C. A New Finding
1. One time it caught my eye
that in our university there is another "circle": Few students and
two teachers. It was a "Christian circle." They stood out from the
others. Because their members appeared to know: what they believe and why they
believe it. They had peace. And consistency.
I decided to approach them.
I was not bothered if they agreed with me. I learned to have
"understanding." To calmly watch the beliefs of others. And to
respect them. I was working in harmony and friendship with: leftists,
anarchists, rightists and others.
2. But - as I said - this
group was somewhat different. This forced me to work with them seriously. And
what I found! What they said was more little than they needed. They spoke of
nothing but love. They had love. And, unlike everyone else, they were not
bothered by the circumstances. They did not victimize their authorities. They
were not boats that were tossed by the waves. They looked as if they had a deep
joy. Not coming from outside pleasant circumstances: games, fun, love, etc.
They had the joy within. A deep joy. They were happy to an extent, which made
me angry. They had something that I did not have.
May we all be jealous of
what we do not have. In this way I was jealous of their inner joy. And I made
the decision to join with them.
"I will have
benefit!" I thought.
3. And after a few days, I
was in their company. We were six students and two teachers. And the debate
began. About God.
Until then, every time I
heard talk about God, the yelling began. To show how I was somehow
"smart". As you know in such cases, a "smart" person yells
as hard as he can.
"Just think, my child!
He is Christian! Ha-ha-ha ... And he runs behind the priests! ... Ha-ha-ha ...
As an old lady! ... A young man! ... A student of the positive sciences!
..."
And it took a long time
until I realized that the more one yells, the more empty-headed one is!
The debate did not attract
my interest. I was devoted to looking at a beautiful girl, who was on their
team. Until then I had the idea that Christians are all foul. I found that I
had this wrong. And wanting to hide my thoughts, I began to squirm in my chair.
And then I asked, as if desiring to have her words capture my interest
wholeheartedly.
"You had the goodness
to tell me what it was that brought the greatest influence on your life. Why is
your life unlike other students and teachers?"
The female student which I
spoke about, must have known what she believed. She looked at me in the eyes
with a quiet seriousness and said only two words, which I did not expect to
hear.
"Jesus Christ!"
I replied somewhat angry:
"Oh, in the name of
God! Let these things go! I'm sick of religion! I'm sick of the Church! I'm
sickened of religious books! Because everything that is related to religion
causes wilting! ..."
"But I was not talking
about religion! I said: Jesus Christ! ..."
This distinction I had not
heard!
And the girl went on:
"Christianity is not a
religion. Religion is the attempt made by man to find the way to God.
Christianity is not a religion! Christianity tells us to the opposite: Of the
attempt God makes to find man."
I had not heard this before.
The views circulating are tragically simple. And usually with its fixed-form
simplistic simplifications we imagine they solve scientific problems!
Lastly I came to know a
professor of the university, who said seriously:
"Everyone who goes to
Church is a Christian!"
I could not hold it in, but
said:
"According to this
reasoning, every man who goes to the garage is a car! What does the physical
presence of a person in church have with the Christian faith? A Christian is
one who believes correctly in Christ!"
D. Great is the Truth!
1. Once, while in this
circle, they instructed me to say a word about Christ. Namely: How did He
become man? How was He crucified? Why was He crucified? How was He buried? How
was He resurrected? And what can this offer a youth in the twentieth century?
I thought of all these
things then as stupidities. I had the idea that people who were involved in
these things were whacks, cretins. In student gatherings until then I lurked
furiously to hear anyone say something about religion and Jesus Christ, to rush
on him, to pulverize him, to dust him away! My opinion was: To be a Christian
believer, one should not have a stone, nor a molecule of gray matter. But the
time came and I realized that this was for me!
I tried to avoid it.
"What business did I have in such matters?" I would say to myself.
But I could not. The young people of the Christian circle would not let me! And
so I took on the matter. But with a selfish attitude. With the thought: "I
will dust them off! I will thunder at them! And then I will go!"
But things did not evolve
that way.
2. When I set about the
matter, I heard something mentioned about evidence, which I took to study, to
appreciate their seriousness. Why would I risk becoming the laughingstock in
their eyes, immediately after the young people would have made me dust! So I
threw myself into the study of this "evidence" with the sole
objective in warding it off. But I did not succeed. I concluded that the books
used by believers give the most accurate picture of the person of Christ. This
finding terribly impressed upon me.
I understood that the
question of our relationship with Christ is the greatest issue of our lives. I
sacrificed everything. And I paved my way to study. I read all kinds of
atheistic and all kinds of Christian apologetic books that I could find. And my
conclusion was always the same:
The truth is in the books of
the Church. Christ is the one of Whom the Church says: our God and Savior.
3. And I became a Christian.
Cine doreşte să traducă această convertire în limba română este rugat să trimită un e-mail la adresa: blog.stefania1@gmail.com.
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