THE FIERY SPIRIT - Coptic Orthodox Electronic Publishing

It’s not the place here to speak about missionaries. For
we really long to see the one Church in the whole world. But let
not the West think they are coming to teach the East spirituality.
Actually through love and true faith we interchange experience
with one another. For we can't fail that the East is rich with
Christian tradition, not merely concerning books and volumes,
but also in its worship and behavior!
Some missionaries think that the East needs the “liberal
theology” to rescue them from daily troubles. Unrealizing the
richness of the glorious Crucified Lord risen from death, who
lifts man above sufferings. He doesn’t extract pain from our
lives but carries us as if on the Spirit’s wings, declaring His
glory to us, while we are still on earth.
I felt deep sorrow when one of the Egyptian brethren -
non-Orthodox - stood in the midst of the consultative council,
and spoke to the missionaries (about 100 persons from the
united states and Europe) saying: In Egypt we are in need of the
West to teach us how to serve the poor, and how to study the
Holy Bible. He gave an example of what he beheld, about a
camping of 15 of orthodox Copts who gathered to study the
Holy Bible. He commented that they were thirst and disparately
in need of any help, no matter what! How amazing is that bitter
picture, this brother presents. I was obliged to comment on
those words. I present it briefly here:
a. As an example, in Alexandria, each church but rather
every pastor offers weekly huge amounts of money to the poor.
Besides there is a committee at each church responsible to
achieve the same purpose. Also another board of all churches in
Alexandria.
I gave examples of Sunday school children and their
teachers who have an active role in serving the poor. But rather
I know some of the poor who give out of their needs to fulfill
the needs of their brethren. We don’t need to learn loving the
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