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Well, *you* did that for me, Fr Adam :’) Hah. In a reading assignment, I read it for the first time. It’s beautiful! I’ll be honest I am still not quite sure what the Didache IS… Where it came from.. how and where it is used… (:
However, as is with my extraordinarily limited understanding and outgoing personality, I would probably introduce the Didache to somebody in the same way I would any text that is inspiring to me, mention it to them, and discuss the application of it in our lives, the beautiful applications of it as I understand, etc. And if I knew the answers to the former questions that I asked, I would likely also share those things about it with someone. What it is, who wrote it, why it’s important, and where/why this applies to orthodoxy. If the person I am sharing it with is already a Christian, that’s easier than sharing with someone who isn’t, of course.I would introduce it as a historical document that they might be interested in and then point out the parts of it that I think they/their church are doing well with. Then hopefully approach the rest of the topic with grace if there are issues within their theology/church that are being addressed within the Didache, likely guiding them to someone much more qualified and knowledgeable than myself if they want to delve deeper into the topic.
That’s a graceful way of handling it! haha, I alienated all of my protestant friends early on because I came on FAR to strong and tried to bring them all along with me, sadly, non of them wanted to hear of it, and I lost a lotta friends! A women who I spoke with early on responded to a question I had with such love and grace; I held her little orthodox baby, and she said baptism is where you receive the Holy Spirit (I believed I was “saved”) so I got offended and said, “You’re telling me that this baby has the Holy Spirit and I don’t?!” I was shocked, she responded, “Well… In orthodoxy, we say that we know where the Holy Spirit *is* but we do not know where it is not”. It was a true answer, and though she likely knew I really did not have the Holy Spirit in me, she tried not to push me far away and make me angry, she waned me to seek.. She tossed some crumbs my way but didn’t force feed me a loaf of bread. I spoke far to easily when I came to the church, as if a 2 month long inquirer knew everything! The longer I am here the more I understand how little I truly know! hah. It is not good to be so prideful and forceful with your “knowledge” or resources, it only pushes people farther away.
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