Comments by "" (@StephSchLDD) on "Nicholas Kotar - Art and a Unifying Vision" video.

  1. The American story is what it is, it's there if you can see it through the lens of what it is and what it is not- it is not the unified cultural story of European countries like Russia. It is the Greatest Story ever told, of God created, and it is the stories of the American Indians and the explorers, and the European settlers who came to each region and the specific people groups who settled each of those places in the North, South, East, and West which can also be broken down into each distinct cultural community that was settled within those areas. At some point every story is going to have to be analyzed, broken down, and explained. Y'all (Orthodox) do this outside of your own liturgy when you do Bible studies, and publish books explaining Chrysostom's liturgy, so there is a time a place for both- the rational (catechesis) and the experiential. Western Christianity has been retelling pagan stories for a long time. Perhaps changing a story only really works well if we truly understand the original story first?? Each war changes the story of the loser of the battle because the winner changes the loser's story. Has the Russian/European who thinks Americans are shallow missed a shared humanity? You don't know what you don't know until you know. You cannot deny Perfect Community- The Supremacy of Christ and His Father and Spirit; and expect to keep your own community intact. You cannot deny your own God given humanity and the God given humanity of other people and expect to keep your own community intact. You cannot deny the flourishing of God and your own flourishing and think that you will preserve the flourishing of your neighbor. You cannot claim to understand God's truths about the flourishing of the humanity He created while misunderstanding God Himself, and yourself, and everyone else made in God's image. Love First Things things done lightly- especially the friendship. Keep up the good work!
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