FROM THE PARISH PRIEST
 

Cheap Religion
by Fr. Romey Rosco

        I read somewhere that a Hindu once published an article in which he proposed that Christianity be adopted as the state religion of India.  His argument went as follows:

        “Here in India we give ALL for our religion, and often keep ourselves poor in doing so.  But I have been to America and I know there are millions of professing Christians in that land who spend more for gasoline than they do for God, more for their own personal pleasures than they do for the advancement of the faith they profess.”

        While it is an alarming indictment of the sincerity of Christians in general when others can point derisively at Christians and say ours is the cheapest religion in the world, I would nevertheless pose to you that most Christians in America could probably point at us Orthodox and call us the “cheapest of the cheap!”  Yes, we do have the most beautiful churches, but we work like dervishes to pay them off with bingos, raffles, hall rentals, ethnic foods, etc., just so we wouldn’t have to reach into our own pockets and give, expecting nothing in return.

        Please do not feel insulted if you give to your Church and Faith as best you can.  I’m not looking to insult anyone.  But surely you would agree that many, if not most, Romanian Orthodox are still living with an immigrant mentality when it comes to supporting their church and its worthy projects and activities, even though we are in this country for over 100 years!

        In fact, whether born here or abroad, we do not seem to take the Lord’s teachings to heart, certainly not like true believers.  “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Luke 12:34)

From The Weekly Bulletin, Vol. XXXVIII No. 31, 31 July 2011
Sts. Peter & Paul Romanian Orthodox Church, Dearborn Heights MI

BACK