Our Portret

Archpriest Andrei Tkachev 

Everybody has heard of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. It should be clear that those stolen from the New Testament concept of the French Revolution changed considerably meaning associated with the image of a naked lady in the Phrygian cap and on the barricades. 

If you forget that "the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" (2 Cor. 3:17), the word "freedom" will slip out of your hands like a live fish, or disappear like vapor, or become so heavy that people will voluntarily give up the freedom. 

And no equality in life, nor between the sexes or between nations, not between individuals. No its not in the starting opportunities, or in the after-fate, and well, it is not. In the forest where all the trees on the same number of branches and leaves, no rational soul gather mushrooms disagree. But we'll talk about the "brotherhood." 

In a biblical-historical sense, "fraternity" rather intimidating than attracts. The first murder (Cain Abel) occurs in a very small family. Brother fell victim to fraternal strike. Beautiful, too, brothers Joseph miraculously not killed out of jealousy, replacing slavery possible bloodshed, and then miraculously died when Jacob saw bloody clothes beloved son. Brothers by his father (his name was Abraham) are Arabs and Jews. And something tells me that the age-old conflict between blood related descendants of Ishmael and Isaac, the conflict that began after the exile of the house of Hagar, destined to last until the end of time. 

French revolutionaries would know the Bible better, they are not tied to the idea of ​​brotherhood so lightly with only the warmth of family and mutual assistance. They would remember the time that the dispute over the estate and the struggle for the birthright as much a fraternity for the earth, as well as cherished warmth of relations. 

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The parable of the prodigal son , too, speaks of the dark sides of the fraternity. Attention worshipers this Sunday has traditionally focused on the vicissitudes of the life of his younger brother, in which everyone is free to find himself. "Ungrateful! Left, offended parents, all wasted, disgraced, went to the bottom, to the swine trough. Now humble myself and go home. " Glory to God! Father awaits! Warmth embrace oblivion resentment, joy, covering him all! Taurus, clothes, singing - the Eucharist. And in the background there is the elder brother. About him we say and think a little. And for good reason. 

So this is our life that if someone genuinely enjoys our return, someone is sure to ask, "Why have you come?" There is also in families, there is in the Church. Brothers fighting for the attention of parents, sometimes even fighting for his birthright in the womb (Phares and Zara in the womb of Tamar). Why then and people, for example, not to challenge the superiority of God's family? From this point of view, "brotherly peace among nations," and there is a constant challenge birthright. Learn the historical and theological rhetoric on this subject? 

- We come to God first, and then you have learned. 

- Yes, if it were not for our bayonets, what would happen to your library? 

- You always were barbarians, and all your strength only in the number of people. 

- We have more saints. 

- And we have temples above. 

- And we sing beautifully. 

And so on and so forth. Armenians, Greeks, Russian Jews, Georgians, Serbs, Poles ... All all believers in the one God the people are able to identify his dark madness in these replicas, and hence in this every year to read and understand, the parable. In this case, the quarrel about the primacy and disputes over Otchuyu love is such that the brotherhood is not talking. "This is your son," - says his younger brother to his father's brother older. That is, he refuses to give his brother returned, which means, "I wish he was dead" or "I no longer brother." 

Earth is so big, and we have so little to her place. And the motif of death, which we desire for someone, or someone wants for us, so clearly emerges on the surface of life, as shown by invisible ink on encryption. Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh noted that the request "give me my share of the estate," means "die quickly," as in the possession of his share of the property entered only after the death of their parents. You want to live on their own, it is necessary that the father has died and left a legacy. That's it. And even if the father in the parable is - God, the meaning is not changed. Nietzsche said (not by himself alone, but on behalf of millions, sensing the mood) that "God is dead." So death creeps into the innocent mind to a request under the estate. And as sure death creeps into words the eldest son of the younger, "your son." "Your son" means "not to take it to me," that is, "I have no brother," that is, "my brother died." 

For the prodigal son's father was just dead when absent, and is alive again, back. So he says, "and revived the dead was lost and is found." And contrary to his older brother - younger was alive in the memories as missing, but that came and - died. Spiritually dead, no longer a brother. 

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The reason for gloom older - a strong love of the Father. This love is above human, and that is why it can torment their height and purity. Senior could say to the Father: "I was angry and would not be offended if you loved this spendthrift and spender less. You could criticize him, scold, beat even. Could hold a couple of weeks between the servants and feed scraps. And you like that once - clothes, ring, boots, calf. It is insulting to me. If you scold him, then I would regret it and fed. And I'm sorry that my humble work in the shadow of your name is almost imperceptible, as if it had never existed. Was it really necessary to sin and go through the shame and loss, to enter into a new joy and fall into your arms? It is not clear to me. Not clear and insulting. "