Your "waiting" questions are good questions. It would be interesting to know what motivates the two different groups of people. Some of the shoppers might be driven by greed and some by our economic crisis. They want technological items (a necessity these days) and toys for the kids. However, the best gift they could give their kids (and perhaps they have done this) is a Bible and to worship as a family. Bibles are cheap, and nobody is standing in line for them. As for the Russians standing in line at the Cathedral: I will assume they are motivated by faith. I cannot imagine any other reason for waiting to enter a house of worship. Let us hope everyone will find their way out of the darkness.
Thank you for visiting us again Aunt Melanie. We hope your beautiful quilts are helping out in fending off the cold weather.
In regard to the post, one of the things that struck me was that 75 years of Russian State atheism could not extinguish human yearning for the Transcendent. To view the Church of Christ the Savior in the background and a sea of humanity waiting in deep freezing weather for days on to see, touch an object of veneration is simply amazing. Another question it raised for me was whether the object indeed represented Christ the Savior.
In the US scene, it is true people do need those gadgets and that in these economically trying times a bargain of any sort is welcome. I also think you would agree with me that materialism often gets in the way of our need to connect with the true God. Hence, the comparison. God bless.
Your "waiting" questions are good questions. It would be interesting to know what motivates the two different groups of people. Some of the shoppers might be driven by greed and some by our economic crisis. They want technological items (a necessity these days) and toys for the kids. However, the best gift they could give their kids (and perhaps they have done this) is a Bible and to worship as a family. Bibles are cheap, and nobody is standing in line for them. As for the Russians standing in line at the Cathedral: I will assume they are motivated by faith. I cannot imagine any other reason for waiting to enter a house of worship. Let us hope everyone will find their way out of the darkness.
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting us again Aunt Melanie. We hope your beautiful quilts are helping out in fending off the cold weather.
ReplyDeleteIn regard to the post, one of the things that struck me was that 75 years of Russian State atheism could not extinguish human yearning for the Transcendent. To view the Church of Christ the Savior in the background and a sea of humanity waiting in deep freezing weather for days on to see, touch an object of veneration is simply amazing. Another question it raised for me was whether the object indeed represented Christ the Savior.
In the US scene, it is true people do need those gadgets and that in these economically trying times a bargain of any sort is welcome. I also think you would agree with me that materialism often gets in the way of our need to connect with the true God. Hence, the comparison. God bless.