Nikodemos no. 3, film review, visit from Vladika Nektary
In truth Christ is risen! Please forgive again the delay in returning the manuscripts [for Nikodemos #3], but between our first and second reading of them there have occurred so many adventures and trials that there just hasn’t been time! These trials sometimes just pile up on us right when we’re finishing an issue, and so we have a pretty good idea what their source is! (This was especially true of the calendar issue, also the canonization issue from last year [about St. Herman of Alaska].) Last week, after our truck caught fire (!), I was about ready to sink into a rather gloomy mood; but we did get the issue out (we pushed the truck to the road and then coasted down—the postmaster asked no questions, as he’s already used to our strange arrivals, à la the Lone Ranger!) and it looks as though the damage isn’t much after all. And thus does God faithfully teach us patience and to trust in Him and not our own powers, which after all can’t do a thing!
All the material you sent looks fine, and we have only one or two comments.
In your reply to H’s letter [to the editor, about ways of being an Orthodox witness] we’re not sure the idea comes across that ways of witnessing are not performed in order to “show” others, but rather because they are Orthodox in themselves and incidentally they show this to others. Perhaps you could add or revise a sentence to indicate this clearly, in order to avoid the impression that the Orthodox Christian goes around “showing off” his faith, à la Protestants.
Concerning this we came across an interesting passage just last week in the Life of the fourteenth-century Lithuanian martyrs Anthony, John, and Eustathius (April 14): “Finding themselves in the service of the Lithuanian Prince Olgerd, Anthony and John tried to conceal from him the fact that they were Christians, but they could not succeed in this because their Christian acts and customs too noticeably distinguished them from the pagans.” They were finally imprisoned for refusing to eat meat on a fast day, and killed.
Of course CD has our blessing to write a review of [the film] Nicholas and Alexandra. I’m afraid we discouraged him somewhat once by our lack of interest—but we’re monks and aren’t supposed to be going to such spectacles, whereas for your readers movies are a part of life and it’s certainly good for them to be informed when distortions of anything Orthodox are presented there.
Vladika Nektary visited us on his way back from Seattle—he was quite weak, but still he was able to undertake such a very exhausting trip. He is always a source of great encouragement and counsel for us. I hope this late reply won’t delay the appearance of Nikodemos. Forgive us, and pray for us. Our regards to Susan and Ian.