Author
Andrey Sorokin
If you truly are a Christian, take your brother's burden and carry it

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Andrey Sorokin

These days the arguments in Russian social media are running high as never before. And the hottest, most toxic topic is no longer the government's military operation, or the Russian-Ukrainian discourse (what's the point if discussing it anyway?). No, the great battle between "those who left" and "those who remained" is on everyone's screen now. Both sides try to put the blame on each other. Some bring back the situation of one hundred years ago, when thousands of people left post-revolutionary Russia. Others desperately defend themselves, appealing to the bespoke Russian spirituality and traditional values. Some tell the old horror stories about the collective West over and over again. Others tell of the eternal confrontation of civilizations, with citations from Danilevsky and Spengler. Tensions are running high. And it gets even more painful to read, listen and watch these torrents of mutual accusations when some of the opponents resort to the last ( and, in my opinion, forbidden) move: "And you call yourself Orthodox!".

This phrase is usually meant to be the final blow after which the opponent's conscience and reason will awaken. But, not surprisingly, that never happens. In fact, it's impossible. As mathematicians say, the parties have different initial data. But can there be any comromise? Can we reach peace if our initial data is so opposite? Or will we stay forever like this, accusing each other of what has happened to our country? How can we break that loop of eternal confrontation?

Salvation seems to be not so far away. t's time again, maybe for the hundredth time, to remember the blessed Theodoret of Cyrus. This Christian theologian of V century, is not among the saints, but is recognised as one of the greatest thinkers of his time. Back then, Christians were irreconcilably fighting about the nature of Christ: divine or human. Theodoret actually favored the heretical followers of Nestorius of Constantinople. But he wrote a very interesting document, the Antiochian Union "Conciliatory Confession". Thanks to this text, the seemingly inevitable split between Antioch and Alexandria was overcome. There were many more theological battles later in history, but let's leave those for another time.

Clearly now there is no one to write such a conciliatory confession between opponents and supporters of the current situation. But if you go back to the legacy of the past, you can still find the right words. Bishop Theodoret of Cyrus actually wrote another important text that really deserves to be remembered - the interpretation of the epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Galatians. Among other things, Theodoret stopped at the apostle's line about each other's burdens:

«"Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ". You have one flaw and you don't have the other. He, on the contrary, does not have the disadvantage that you have, but has another. You bear his disadvantage, and let him bear yours. Thus the law of love is fulfilled. For the Apostle called love the law of Christ. These are the words of Christ: "A new command I give you: Love one another" (John 13:34)."»

It seems that these are just the words we need right now, when we are so divided. «Each other's burdens» is the burden that we can all bear, since we believe in Christ's law. It is unlikely that there are people among us that are without flaws, without sins and delusions. And it is our Christian task to take these flaws and sins from each other, take them and carry them. The path to reconciliation will not be easy but only with the burden of our brother can we go through it. And thus law of Love will be fulfilled. Maybe we should try it?

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