Please kindly share this on my behalf please. Dear Stella, God bless you! Well said, and I thank you kindly for sharing this imperative work, and much needed information for us all to realize our understanding of one another, although we must remember we shall continue to cry and pray in the wilderness, but at the same time we shall remain as meek as a lamb, as well as with always with love for all! We desire not to judge our brother, but with patience and with love we offer humbly. Whom ever told anyone that the Greeks are without Agape or about peace, or about sharing our heritage with one another, we always did and shall continue to do so in the days ahead in spite of the deceitful words expressed about us, we will not judge no one not even our brothers, but what we will ask from one another is peace and good will among one another, and I am speaking about Kosovo and Cyprus of course, as in seeking this peace we find love and understanding. Of course we expect very unhurt words, but words do not bother us, what really bothers us is when our love for one another begins to break down. We hailed Greece at the Olympics, and then as soon as it was over and all received their medals we turned our hearts and backs against one another, is this the type of culture we are creating? What we need to create is sharing with one another our goals and our lives as something sacred and good. I myself have been to Greece on two occasions, and not for one day either or one week, but spent time among the Greek people, I never saw so much respect and kindness among these citizens. I saw people not rushing from one minute to the next but enjoying life as life should be taken every hour as it was blessed by our God. Churches I attended where so crowded people had to stand outside and with bowed heads and folded hands, as one person said to me next week I shall enter this Church to pray inside. Monastic life is growing rather rapidly on Holy Mt. Athos, and all through Greece, and even now in America (twenty new Orthodox monasteries in the last ten years). Our faith of Holy Orthodoxy is growing too so much so we have found many parishes expanding their buildings, and building new ones left and right across America. Orthodoxy is not dying either in Greece it remains intact with love for God and love for all, even those who had and continue to persecute their country and to see what they can get away with on a daily basis, as the tensions continues on the bordered islands in Greece. What really bothers me that it has often been reported that we as Greek people hate (actually I am a Greek-American), Turkey and Turks as it is expressed. We do not hate no one, as our Holy Orthodox Church well expresses to love one another and that we should forgive all. All we are saying is that occupation of Cyprus is not the norm of the day of any outside country to pursue or to remain as occupied people on a island that is Greek Cypriot. We do not hate no one, as we constantly ask why the Turkish citizens and it's authorities continue to occupy Aghia Sophia, and our Theological Seminary in Halki, and the constant harassments against our Patriarch and his Patriachate, as well as to the local Orthodox Christians and even it's Greek Orthodox cemetries. So when we ask that these types of behavior ceases we are simply accused of hating someone! In regards to Kosovo, my heart totally breaks form these unfortunate Press Releases, as I am the President of the Decani Monastery Relief Fund. Since 1998 this fund gave outreach assistance to all citizens no matter what ethnic background, and we continue to offer this help and assistance until this very hour, and all of this has been down through the efforts of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo and Metohija, this same Church that has lost more then 140 Churches and Monasteries after the war! Do we hear any hate in this regards, no all we hear is that these churches and monasteries need to be repaired is this hate? Hardly no voice had been heard, and hardly have we heard anyone say they shall repair these churches and monasteries. We still have thousands of missing Serbian Orthodox men, women, and children in Kosovo and Metohija, and we have not heard about any of these people. Have we seen these appeals about the missing children from these regions? Justice has to be understood on both parts and on all societies, not just on one society, we work together caring for one another and helping each other. Some on the outside seems to be promoting that Kosovo and Metohija will be taken away and granted as a gift to some other culture that seeks to control this land and destroy everything contrary to their religious or political views. What are the Serbian citizens suppose to do just sit around? The Serbian citizens have asked that all ethnic groups sit at a table to discuss these matters, not to destroy one another. This has been the plea but hardly have we heard these pleas. All people have the right to live and exist as a free people, and so we are too busy with our everyday life, and we have no time to care and we really have to ask each other is that a loving society, and is that a carrying society no not at all, but sometimes we need to remind each other we have suffering and struggling people who need our help, and then we do wake up and help. We just need a little reminder. So let us care and let us help each other not destroy each other. So as a Greek Orthodox Priest I would like to say this to those who might think different of us, we love you, and we offer our kindness to you as brother and sister caring for one another, as well as offering a helping hand on the path of understanding and with peace, but above all we are Christians too, and understand these teachings and the virtues of love, faith, and hope, which we are constantly aware and are reminded by Holy Scripture, and from the lives of the saints and martyrs of our Holy Orthodox Church. The pressure is on because what the purpose seems to be that total occupation of our lives and of our lands are at stake, but we shall remain as a free people because no one can take from us our love for you, not even those of this world, or in this world. Let us love one another confess this daily in our hearts and in our lives, as one family caring and sharing with one another the steps we take everyday together on this earth. Fear us not we a loving people and a happy people, as well as God-fearing people too. Let us also pray for each other, and let us love one another.
Peace to your soul! Humbly In Christ Our Lord, +Very Rev. Archimandrite Nektarios Serfes Who prays for you! [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.serfes.org Serbian News Network - SNN [email protected] http://www.antic.org/
