Orthoanalytika

“I AM” (not a tribal god) Journey to Reality Chapter Three: Who is God? Preamble.  First – apologize.  If you want to see an object’s strengths and weaknesses, put it under stress.  We do this with our asceticism: prayer rules, regular participation in worship, fasting, and tithing are useful not just because they develop virtue, but because they test it.  They show the extent to which we need to work on our patience, reliability (faith), kindness, and trust.  For most people, most of the time, the responses are not life-threatening and they allow for repentance and change towards the better. Big stresses to the system do an even better job at exposing flaws and virtues. They can also do real damage to people’s souls.  Many have been going through that kind of a trial the past week.  As your pastor and, for many of you, your spiritual father, my main calling is to care for your souls.  I understand the complexity and dynamics at work in our society as a trained and  experienced social scientist, intelligence