“Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle…”
(Colossians 2:21)
One of the most appealing things about Orthodox
Christianity is its strict adherence to the theology, doctrine, and truth which
has been handed down to us since the time of the Apostles. Thus, maintaining
these ancient Holy Traditions and ordinances is what sets us apart from the
rest of mainstream Christianity which has either added or detracted from the
True Faith.
Sadly, in the murky waters of an ever-changing and
[devolving] Protestant world, there are those who, not unlike the Pharisees,
are glad to embrace any way of life which offers clear, bright, distinct lines
of demarcation. They misinterpret voluntary observances which were meant to
keep us corralled and “separated” from the world, into mere rules and
regulations to follow as a method to salvation. Thus, such rigorous adherence
makes them feel as if they are making advances in their spiritual lives. Yet a
faith which simply focuses on the details of things you're allowed, or not
allowed to touch or eat is not a Christian reality, because following a bunch
of rules or regulations cannot make you holy, nor will it make God love us any
more than He already does. Such blind adherence constitutes “legalism,” a
practice Jesus Christ came to destroy and abolish.
Fr. John
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