an exhortation..as 
a lay Christian examines his faith..

By James Ross Kelly

Christian orthodoxy has not left this culture, it thrives–in spite of the media’s demeanor of ignorance it thrives in a vibrant way and is in no danger of death as some would assert. This is because this truth is Living Truth. The future may bring a final onslaught, or attack, or pogrom from the current coexistence with the secular portion of our culture. Currently to many there is waning hope that that future is distant. Such violent affronts are presently on-fire in other cultures such as China, Laos, Vietnam, Pakistan and the Sudan where Christianity for one reason or another is viewed as a threat to the ruling order and demands inner allegiance to something other than the Living God of Christianity. Preceded by this has been seven decades of Soviet Russia, and a before that two decades of fascist Europe. Many in the Church believe this will again becoming an end time scenario in our Western world. History of this century has shown that counter doctrine to orthodoxy demands a lock-step subservience to this end—with the true church going underground—nominal Christianity apostatizing to state religion with Christ relegated to academic mythos. The killing fields of Babi Yar, and Cambodia are just two of long list of the results of this 100 year trend.

The God I worship is Father God, Creator of the universe who is outside of space and time as object of our reality. My God exists both in and outside of space and time in fluid conjunctive extra-dimensional spatial reality. My God loves us, my God cares for us, and though He seems dimensionless to our own gaze. He was never invisible in the interior dimension which exists, and is comprehended in one simple way—by His leave and by our own humility through acceptance of His son Christ Jesus, His brief sojourn on the planet earth and the redemptive act done for all time for us all by His death on the cross.

This act is now history, but it is one of an eternal redemptive glorification that was the end and defeat by proxy of all pagan death cults—one which was replaced by the self-sacrifice of the living God who by this loving act through His Holy spirit instituted the Christian Church in an eternal love feast meant for all people of this planet. That the church has fallen short of exemplary stewardship in its temporal charge of eternal matters cannot be argued. However, it can be argued that the Spirit of the Living God was not apart of any of these short comings. And took His leave as we all might at the sight of inquisition and obtuse legalism whether it was in the Protestant, Catholic or Orthodox camp. The history of the church as a human organization has always been far short of the glory of God—yet God’s glory has throughout history shone through his martyrs and the lovers of His truth. St Stephen, St Ignatious, St Polycarp, William Tyndale, Martin Luther King, Joan of Arc and St Francis are but a few examples. The Way of God exemplified by people of God have long out shown the dimness of Church tradition.