Epiphanist: “Thank you Father Stephen. I wrote to you a little while ago that I had struggled with the lengthy post reformation statement of belief which you published. The short statement of things we know in this post is much closer to the mark for me, though in my ignorance I do not even know all these things. Is there reconciliation between the rigid dogma of the creeds and my own experience of Christ in the Spirit?”
Father Stephen: “I think the dogma of the creeds seem rigid when approached in a rational manner – which makes them seem sort of two-dimensional or less. It is the living reality of which the Creed is an expression that is life. The experience of the Church agrees with the Creed – and the Creed represents something of a “fence” as some have called it – but it is the reality of the living knowledge of God that is our life. Ultimately there should be no contradiction between the creedal expression and our experience.
If our experience begins to run “contrary” to the Creed, then there is occasion to examine and question our experience for the possibility of delusion (at the least). It is here that the Creed as “fence” comes in to play.
If you have access to Fr. Sophrony’s writings, read some in his book We Shall See Him As He Is. There is a wealth of experience there – but also a faithfulness to the dogma. He is an example of how these things are not contradictory or in competition.”
Sometimes words from the Bible come as truth. Like dreams, once resolved they can become part of the way. Prophecy or wisdom? Or delusion?
In this case the words which came were about the rift in the church which had separated my friend and myself from our former congregation, and each other.
The Christ’s difficult prophecy from Luke 12:51- “Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three; a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”
The meaning of the prophecy has become clear. I am certain that unity is properly with Christ in the Spirit – and not with each other.
In the context of the Church, it fragmented straight away, and never looked like being unified in any earthly sense, despite the contrary vision of many reformers. St Athanasius particularly comes to mind, his vision for the unity of the Trinity turned upside down and split the Godhead into three instead.
The certainty of my understanding was bound to cause problems. I had earlier saved this quote from my favourite commentator, Father Stephen, about his beloved Orthodox Church. “The Church is God’s vision of united mankind – a union achieved through the gift of God and not by human effort. It is a union which maintains a diversity of sorts (the languages do not become one “super” language – so much for the “unity” of Latin) but a diversity whose unity is found in true union with the one, living and true God.”
It is little wonder there was disagreement.