They tell me - you shouldn't listen to metal if you're an Orthodox Christian. But such songs slap me, wake me up whenever I get carried away, open my eyes whenever I close them, move my limbs whenever I think of giving up... So I can't say - no, there is no God in such music, it should be completely rejected.
They tell me - you should not read and watch horror if you are an Orthodox Christian. But horror often reminds me of what I need to be afraid of and what I shouldn't, and how to humanely react to horrors, because my biggest enemy is always myself. So I can't say - no, the whole genre is godless because it talks about godlessness, because it shows me, like the best biblical stories, what "weeping and gnashing of teeth" is, and how much peace is important.
They tell me - you shouldn't like, read or write satire because it's a mockery. But it's often easier for me to laugh at evil in its face and thereby minimize it, to portray the offspring of vipers as the offspring of vipers, so that the importance of the good, brave and steadfast would finally be obvious when lies and hypocrisies are mocked.
They tell me all kinds of things, but I take everything with a grain of salt. We don't all have to understand all and accept all. But when I stand before you, the way I am, love me or don't love me. Hang out with me or don't. That's perfectly fine, I also make such choices almost daily.
But do not reproach me with your ideas of what I am or what I should be in order to call myself Christ's. Let Him either hug me or not recognize me. I'll equally leave you to the same encounter. Do not tell me whether I am His or not, because of the habits I have or the way I move, dress, dance or talk. You have every right not to like me, but don't think that because of your opinion, I or anyone else will not be liked by God Himself.
They tell me all kinds of things and sometimes I listen and sometimes, well... mostly, I don't listen to what they say.
There's Someone whose words are more important.
- written by Марко Радаковић (Orthodox Christian theologian, catechist, author), translated by Damian Radulovich
Коментари