"Joyful Curmudgeon" An oxymoron?
No! I see all the beauty of God's creation and I'm joyful. At the same
time, I see all the suffering and corruption going on in the world, and feel
called to help expose and end it so that we may have true peace and compassion.
It’s Greek Independence Day, celebrating the end of nearly 400 years of tyrannical rule by the Ottoman Turks that ended on March 25, 1821.
As George W. Bush declared in his Proclamation for “Greek Independence Day: A National Day of Celebration of Greek and American Democracy, 2003”:
“Bound by history, mutual respect, and common ideals, America and Greece have been firm allies in the great struggles for liberty. Our countries fought together in every major twentieth-century war, and today, we remain united in the war against terror that threatens the future of every nation.”
In my 21 April 2006 Blog titled “Holy Friday and Christian Orthodoxy” I wrote:
“I have always marveled at the ability of the Greeks to remain true to Christianity, after being cruelly enslaved for approximately 400 years by the Ottoman Turks! The horrific tortures these Greeks suffered defy description. Imagine being skewered and roasted alive in an effort to make you denounce your faith! This is why I have chosen to write about Christian Orthodoxy today.” *
Greek children would recite a little poem that expressed hope that they could find their way to school in the evening by moonlight so that they could learn the things of God. They did this at great risk. I memorized that poem when I was a child and I still remember it.
I wonder how many of today’s people would retain their language and Christian faith after 400 years of slavery?
* For the complete text of this Blog,
see:
http://www.all-creatures.org/heart/blog-20060421.html
Go on to: “Capitol Crimes” Revisited – 26 March 2007
Return to: Moral Courage – 24 March 2007
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