Once I started knowing facts about Orthodoxy, I realized that prayer and the Eucharist weren’t the sideshow, they were the main event. I came to understand that theology had a major bearing on the way and reason that I prayed. I came to know that Orthodoxy implied that there was much to know and even more to fix about one’s self. The theology about God taking on Man’s suffering implied also that we are all called to struggle. That fact alone impacted my life for whatever I was going through.
Or, how have you personalized your understanding of our faith to make it more relevant/applicable to you?
As far as relevance goes, I think that Christianity at its heart transcends this world. It’s as the world was supposed to be but the world can not accept it because it is fallen. We are awaiting a consummation of all things in Christ. But, as far as what I needed to do for myself, I think the most important thing was my understanding the Liturgy. I can not emphasize enough the importance of having translations of all liturgies, including the Feast days into the local language. In an English liturgy, when I can truly focus, I can attain that real sense of outer worldliness that is more important than sheer knowledge.
