A Form of “Godliness”: When “Orthodox Christians” base their beliefs on “Pop Spirituality”

The Holy Apostle Paul warned Timothy that there would come those who possess “a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof.” These words are often applied to the secular world, to nominal Christians, or to those outside the Church. Yet they should also cause Orthodox Christians to examine themselves
For the greatest danger is not always the abandonment of Orthodoxy. Sometimes it is the reduction of Orthodoxy.
A man may preserve many outward elements of the Faith while losing sight of its center.
The center of Orthodox Christianity is not a personality, not a movement, not a monastery, not a national tradition, not a theological controversy, and not even a saint.
The center is the Holy Trinity.
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are the beginning and end of the Christian life. Every doctrine, every service, every icon, every fast, every sacrament, every saint exists to bring us into communion with the Triune God.
Yet in every age, there is a temptation to become fascinated by one aspect of the “faith” to the neglect of the whole. This is exactly the definition of how spiritual deception and even heresy begin.
Today, one sometimes encounters Orthodox Christians whose conversations revolve almost entirely around particular elders, only “contemporary saints”, prophecies, miracles, visions, or spiritual personalities. Their bookshelves are filled with accounts of extraordinary events. Their discussions are dominated by the prophecies of a particular Athonite “elder”. (I’ve often wondered how years after the death of the said “elder” his list of prophecies continues to grow and adds in every new challenge we come across.) They know every detail of a revered elder’s life, yet may rarely open the Holy Gospel. They don’t know what is expected of them as “Orthodox Christians,” but they filled their house with icons of their new saint.
This is not because devotion to saints is wrong.
Far from it.
The saints are among God’s greatest gifts to the Church. They are our intercessors, our teachers, and our examples. To love the saints is Orthodox. To seek their prayers is Orthodox. To study their lives is Orthodox.
But the saints themselves would be horrified if they became the destination rather than the signpost.
Every true saint points away from himself and toward Christ.
Every true saint says, in one way or another, “Do not stop with me. Follow the Lord.”
The tragedy arises when Christians become so preoccupied with the reflections that they forget the Sun.
The purpose of reading the lives of the saints is not admiration. It is imitation.
The purpose of venerating icons is not sentiment. It is transformation.
The purpose of learning about holy elders is not fascination. It is repentance.
If these things do not lead us to prayer, humility, obedience, and love for God, then they have failed to accomplish their purpose in us.
In many circles, an imbalance has appeared. The Gospel becomes less familiar than the latest story about a contemporary holy man. The words of Christ are quoted less often than the sayings attributed to modern spiritual figures. Discussions about visions and prophecies generate more excitement than the Sermon on the Mount.
I remember hearing a woman say that “(….new saint…) said ‘love one another’.” I responded….”I think our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ said that, but we could check the gospel to be sure!
This should concern us.
The Apostles did not traverse the world proclaiming rumors, predictions, conspiracy theories, or extraordinary phenomena. They preached Christ crucified and risen.
The saints did not die for devotion to themselves. They died for devotion to the Lord. They did not try to be accepted and glorified by the world. Unlike today’s modern “saints” they proclaimed the total truth at all costs!
One of the marks of spiritual maturity is proportion.
The mature Orthodox Christian loves the saints deeply, but worships only God.
He honors the Mother of God, but never forgets her Son.
When these proportions are lost, Orthodoxy can gradually become distorted. The form remains. The language remains. The icons remain. The customs remain. Yet something essential begins to fade.
The Christian life becomes preoccupied with the periphery while neglecting the center.
This is what the Apostle’s warning should make us fear. This is having “a form of godliness, but deny(ing) the power thereof.”
Not the loss of religious activity.
Not even the loss of outward zeal.
But the possibility that, while preserving many beautiful elements of Orthodoxy, we might slowly forget the One to Whom they all point.
The saints lead us to Christ.
The Gospel reveals Christ.
The Church proclaims Christ.
The Holy Mysteries unite us to Christ.
This is the heart of Orthodoxy.
Everything else, however precious, is secondary.
If we remember this, our devotion will be properly ordered.
If we forget it, we risk possessing a form of godliness while neglecting its power.