Insight into the Middle-East Crisis

Archbishop Seraphim, Metropolitan of Peiraios, recently wrote an open letter to the prime minister of Greece, expressing concern about some important draft legislation.  When referring to an article of the bill that touches on freedom of information he mentions two websites as representing views which he believes would be effectively outlawed by the new legislation: www.jewsnotzionists.gr and www.israelversusjudaism.org both published by observant Jews. For me their content came as a revelation that at last enables me to have a clear understanding of the Middle-East Crisis. I recommend the article in the latter, The Difference Between Judaism and Zionism by G. Neuburger, as a good starting point.

Orthodox Adult Baptism

This is the main video of the central part of the baptism ceremony.

The following are shorter clips of the procession down to and up from the sea, and finally inside the church.

The Road to Orthodox Baptism (Part 1)

I was born on 16th July 1965, 911 years to the day (disregarding calendar changes) after the representatives of my western European forebears departed formally from the Orthodox church.  I always used to view the events in Constantinople of 16th July 1054 in the light of an arid academic theology: there were doctrinal differences, political issues, right and wrong on both sides etc.  The path I am now on, however, suggests another perspective. 

From the beginning there always has been one, holy, catholic and apostolic church, a living, organic, unified and inspired community of men ad women, which when the true seeker of truth eventually finds, he or she will know that he has "arrived".  Atlhough its doctrines are true and can withstand any scrutiny, that is not the key point about the Church for the weary soul.  What he delights and reposes in above all is the reality of the encounter with the risen Christ here.

Orthodox Nativity Fast

I am making a feeble effort to keep the advent fast (click here for guidelines). It has brought little culinary joys such as finding how tasty certain olives (dark red soft ones in particular) are on good bread with tomatoes and onion or nothing else.

Buying coconuts here is something of a lottery.  Because they don't refrigerate them they tend to be more or less rancid when you crack them open, so I was very pleased today to find that I had bought my second good one in a row.

Countryside near Thessaloniki, Lakki, Peristera

We headed south-east out of Thessaloniki past Thermi and along the main road to Polygyros. After Loutra Thermis we took the left turning up the hill to the small village of Lakki, after which we proceeded on an unmade road which headed up the mountain.  We took a right fork, and as the quality of the road had deteriorated, parked at the next suitable bend.

I suppose this region could be called the foothills of Chortiatis - rolling countryside with relatively new pine forest or scrubland grazed by sheep and goats. We saw one other hiker outside the village and some cyclists coming the other way, but apart from that and a bellowing shepherd, we came across nobody else.  So near to a populous city and yet deserted.  The village  of Peristera overlooks this area from its perch higher up the mountain with the monastery of Agia Paraskevi nestling below it.

Sakis just for the sake of it.

It's quite a discipline to write a post after midnight Friday of a tiring week, but I guess that's what true blogging is about.  Making an effort like this is the only way copy gets uploaded consistently.

Not that I have any delusions about the quality or importance of what I'm writing.  Yesterday was my 400th post, but the fact that much of that was fairly mediochre and unconnected is one of the reasons I have not got into the routine of writing more regularly.  The longest gaps have been when I am busy and also labouring strongly under the conviction that I should write within the framework of some great plan with obvious connection between entries.  The only philosophy that will ensure that something appears is "write for writing's sake".

I could start today from the word "sake" and move to the name "Sakis", which, as far as I know, is usually an abbreviation of Athanasios.  A prominent Greek popstar of that name, who has appeared in Eurovision, comes to mind.  I saw his smiling face at the supermarket today, beaming out from the front of neatly displayed chewing packets near the checkout.  I recall one of my student's complaining that now that he has passed the forty mark, he should stop the dramatic removal of his shirt at the end of performances.

Kalo Meena "Have a good month", Athos News

What better day to start my return to blogging proper than the first of the month? (OK it's now past midnight now but...).  Here in Greece they say Kalo Meena "Have a Good Month".  In fact there is a greeting for practically everything "Good day.. midday.. . afternoon... evening.. .night... week... month... year... winter... work... continuation (ie. of whatever your doing)... journey... holidays... rest... paradise (popular among the  clergy)..."

One aspect of the motivation to start writing again is seeing the blog of a friend who is travelling in South America.  She is seeing some spectacular sights and moving is sometimes quite challenging environments, so it makes an interesting read.

My statistics tell me that the most visited page on my site is "Kissinger on Greece", which more than  four people a day look at, making it the number one entry for that phrase on Google.

I have been particularly busy preparing people for exams of late.

However, Orthodoxy is more interesting. On Tuesday afternoon, I met Father Constantinos (not real name) from my adopted monastery on Mount Athos, who was in Thessaloniki for medical purposes.  We had coffee in the confectioners opposite the front entrance of Agia Sofia, and had, as usual, a lively and pleasant conversation, coloured only by the mild embarrassment of my blindly ordering a tart which I assumed would only contain fruit and pastry, but actually had a substantial layer of what was obviously a dairy based filling and thus not suitable for the current pre-Christmas fast. I'm on a steep learning curve.  We discussed the plan for me to be baptised on the Holy Mountain during the  winter holiday, and related issues such as the hard times they are having there at the moment because of the economic crisis and image issues arising in connection with the Vatopedi scandal.  They have to cut heating time and as many expenses as possible.  Much of their income used to come from rented property throughout Greece, but it's currently very difficult to get tenants.