Gladsome Light Dialogues - An Orthodox Blog » sin

Drought and redemption – The Lessons of Global Warming

Fr. Vasile — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 19:24:50 +0000

“And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.” (Isaiah 58:11) October 2010 to July 2011 was the driest of any 10-month period on record for Texas. Scorching heat, wildfires, crops destroyed, cattle herds relocated seem to be the new norm for the Lone Star state. But we are not the only ones suffering this, Asia, Africa are also experiencing similar weather patterns, bringing millions to the brink of starvation. Who is to blame? Some say the global warming, others argue that is a natural variation of Continue reading

Ferdinand and the ragging bull

Fr. Vasile — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 16:27:08 +0000

Reading the news can be a source of inspiration and sometimes even an enlightening experience. For instance a recent news flash from Spain, about a bull that jumped 10 yards into the audience of a Spanish bullring injuring 40 people, curiously made me think that life, in a way, is like a bullfight, a “corrida de toros”. Many times we know how dangerous or harmful some things may be to us, yet, we keep doing them or we resolve to enjoy them from the audience, with the illusion of safety. Getting involved in something however, even from a distance, still counts as participation and inherits all the risks associated. Even if we openly avoid doing certain things that Continue reading

Why would we? – Not accepting sin as normality

Fr. Vasile — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 10:39:20 +0000

Anyone that drives on some of the major highways in DFW can see a number of bilboards carrying the logo: "Would Jesus discriminate?/Why would we". The astonishing thing however, that almost made me loose control of the vehicle, is the big picture of Christ along with the words "Jesus affirmed a gay couple" Continue reading

Fasting and the revelation of our shortcomings

Fr. Vasile — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 03:41:10 +0000

Most of the Orthodox people have a hard time fasting. Every beginner realizes sooner rather than later that fasting is difficult, and the discipline of the stomach is not easy to master. The struggle of fast has however another curious secondary effect: the amplification of all our other shortcomings. When we fail in fasting we feel guilty and unworthy. Continue reading

How to live an ecological life in Christ

Fr. Vasile — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:50:23 +0000

Raising awareness of our spiritual footprint

There is a lot of talking these days about the environment and the impact our civilization will have on the planet for generations to come. A lot of damage has already been done and we are here now Continue reading