Fr. Vasile Tudora
From an Architectural perspective‚ the Orthodox Church is also trying to represent this dynamic association between the Old Covenant and the New‚pointing towards the promised Kingdom. Entering an Orthodox temple we see an carefully crafted advancement from the Narthex‚ through the Nave and towards the Altar.
This infinite love should make us all want to change something within our hearts, to make our heart a place fit for Christ. To give him there a proper place to be born, to grow and to save each of us from the inside out. Then, and only then, the Christians will truly become a cloud of witnesses for the Incarnation. Then, and only then, the world will be able to understand the meaning of the miracle from the manger of Bethlehem.
Paradoxically the Cross, an ancient instrument of torture and death, radiates life into the world. This may seem odd to the uninitiated observer, but for us, as Christians, we know that at the intersection of its two arms rests the Giver of Life, the maker of the Universe, accepting death so we can receive life.
I am sure many of us have felt that moment of change. For some it is the moment of conversion from a different religious background to Orthodoxy. For the Orthodox it is the moment when they actually realize what they were missing and then return to their roots. It is a powerful moment; it is a life changing moment.
