Elissa Bjeletich
Religion, and religious people, have a responsibility to offer a living faith, a true witness to the real God — not a flat, false witness. Perhaps that failure of religious people, of us, is what is killing religion. If we witness to a cold God who sits in the sky oblivious to human suffering, then we’re the ones who put that image in their heads — and that’s why when the bombs go off and the carnage is everywhere, they say that they don’t really need God. It’s not God they’re rejecting; it’s our false, useless witness of God.
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As long as we think that we’re in charge, we don’t really offer our kids up to God. As usual, pride will block us up and only humility will open the doors. St. Porphyrios’ prayer is humble: “I entrust them to you. You gave them to me, but I am weak and unable to guide them, so please, illuminate them.” In humility, we weak ones hand our children over to God.
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As a modern saint, so near to us in time, I thought we could spend some time with the great wisdom St. Porphyrios offers us in regard to raising up children, which is recorded in the beautiful book, "Wounded by Love: The Life and Wisdom of Elder Porphyrios."
Thanksgiving is just around the corner. This is such a beautiful holiday — all the more so because it’s so rare for just about everyone in the United States to stop moving, gather together with family and loved ones, and express gratitude to our Creator.
