All the ways in which Orthodoxy affects my life (which I didn't even realize...) (Part 2)

1. A commitment to non-judgement. Although I may actually be really dumb and not understand the way in which judgement works at all, I actually find it quite easy not to judge people. The way I think about it is that not only are you not supposed to, but if you simply disattach yourself...it's actually quite easy. The way that I think about it, it's as if the world is in a glass box, and you are outside of the box, just watching, and observing.

   1. You can notice things about other people that you don't want to do yourself, but that doesn't mean you're judging them. For they can do whatever they want, and you don't really care. They might not think the way you do, and not have the same commitments that you do.

      1. For instance, when you say you are a Christian, already you are burdening, tying down yourself, to some kinds of morals, right? Just by saying the word. And if someone doesn't think that they are Christian, it's much easier to act that way. And maybe they don't want to be. And that's fine. Religion is completely: a choice. That every person makes for themself.

   2. Besides, I just totally know and believe that it's not for people to judge other people. If anything, the only person you should be judging is yourself, and God takes care of the other people. You do not judge other people.

2. The concept of Humility and Selflessness. This is maybe, perhaps, a little broader than just Orthodoxy. I think it extends to Eastern European (Russian, Ukrainian, primarily for me at least) countries' idea of morality. But anyway, growing up, humility just seemed like my dad's favorite word ever. And I remember being a little annoyed at it. But really it's just a beautiful thing. There's a reason for everything.

   1. And I think, there's a reason that people don't like proud people. It's because, it's not the way it should be. People should be humble. People love goodness, and people love humble people.

   2. I don't care who you are, or what you did, in front of God, we are all equal. The same. And all sinners. At the end of the day, that's all that matters.

   3. You should be a good person, you should do great things.

   4. But it's not even you who's totally doing them, because God grants you every breath, and every move that you are able to make.

   5. Yes, you decide what you do. But there's a greater Power, there's a greater Reason, to all happenings in your life, and in the World Beyond (not aliens, humans, like, planet Earth).

3. And Selflessness is just a....virtue. I don't know exactly what word to use to call it an describe it. It's a concept. It's a moral. It's a paradigm. It's a thing. It's an idea. And it's really just a beautiful thing. That no one said was easy. Because our human nature and sinfulness of course makes it hard. But like I've already mentioned, humans know what's good. And they like what's good. (Read: What are the best characteristic traits?). They always like what's good in a person and they praise that type of person above all.

So yeah. There you have it. The big ways, hopefully well explained, of how Orthodoxy affects my life, and me trying to understand that. Because, it's just my mindset, so I don't even think about how it might differ from person-to-person. But really it can. Majorly.

It's always interesting when I get the response "interesting" from friends. As if the way I think is just so out-of-pocket and bizzarre.

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