In many countries where Christianity is practiced, believers are called children of God, but in Russia, from time immemorial, a different situation existed when Orthodox Christians called themselves servants of God.
This situation becomes incomprehensible to many parishioners also because one of the main Christian prayers is the “Our Father.” Therefore, God is our father, and all people should be his children. The same situation is recorded in the Old Testament. How is it that we still consider ourselves slaves, since your son cannot be his father’s slave? Many believers ask themselves this problem, we often hear about this dilemma from neo-pagans who claim that their god did not call them slaves.
Words of Jesus Christ
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First, you must remember how Jesus Christ Himself addresses his followers.
“From now on I do not call you servants, because a servant does not know what his master is doing, but I have called you friends, because I have told you everything that I have heard from My Father” (John 15:15)
He calls them his friends on the condition that they follow his commandments. The Son of God points out that he does not call them slaves, because a person in such a position will never know what his master is doing. Christ says that he calls his followers friends, conveying to them everything that he heard from his heavenly father.
However, he notes that no one chose him. On the contrary, he himself chose them so that people would follow him and could receive from God everything they ask for, turning to him on his behalf. This commands all believers to love one another.
It turns out that the Savior specifically indicates that he does not address believers as slaves. Where did this dissonant definition come from?
Achilles
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Oddly enough, the scarf-skirt issue, which so worried the minds of the Orthodox at one time, is still burning and causing heated discussions. Although, it would seem, Vladimir Legoida explained a long time ago that jeans are not a hindrance to salvation. But it turns out that it is not the chants in Church Slavonic, not the lack of benches, not the clock and the patriarch’s yacht that most hinder the growth in the number of parishioners, but the banal, thousands of times discussed rudeness in churches and a strict dress code.
The other day, the famous blogger and writer Olga Savelyeva published on her pages on social networks a story about how during the rain she ran with her children to a temple in an “unfamiliar city.” It is not clear where the matter took place - in Russia or abroad, but the church is Orthodox, and it is implied that the MP. Olga’s daughter can’t get her hair wet because of her hearing aids. In an unfamiliar place, the children began to ask their mother what it smelled like, but they immediately heard “from a woman in a black headscarf, a servant, a stern remark:
- Shhh, people come here to pray, don’t interfere!
The rain continued, and more people began to run into the temple.
The woman in the headscarf was again unhappy that many were shaking off raindrops directly onto the floor.
She tirelessly made comments to everyone, grumbled, muttered something like: “You should go here at the behest of your soul, and not to escape the rain.”
People stood at the entrance, huddled against the walls, and did not go deeper, although the church was tiny.
It’s as if they came to visit, but they are not welcome here.
I wanted to buy candles, but I didn’t have cash.
“You can go to Sberbank,” the woman in the church shop suggested to me and handed me a piece of paper with a phone number. Immediately after the number was the name of the recipient “Natalya Ivanovna K.”.
But apparently because of the rain or because of the location, the Internet did not load at all, online payment could not be organized, and they never sold me the candles.
My Katya’s Panama hat got wet, and I took it off. There was nothing to give in return - I myself was in the hood. The son is wearing a cap with the inscription “Tsoi”, it will be too big for Katya.
- Why is the girl in church with her head uncovered? - the servant scolded me.
- Because her Panama hat is wet.
- Put it on, don’t anger God.
“How do I anger God? By taking care of the child?” I wanted to ask, but didn’t.
This servant was clearly waiting for someone to enter into a dialogue, and she was just running into it.
“I’m not angry, we have nothing else to wear.”
- You can’t go to church with your head uncovered!
And then the priest came up to us from behind and said to the servant loudly so that I could hear:
“God rang the bell and said that as long as it rains, everyone can go without a panama hat...
I couldn’t help myself and chuckled.
And she was afraid of her laughter.
And the others smiled too - but immediately erased their smiles.
And the priest laughed and suddenly said:
- Laugh! Laughter is not a sin. Despair is a sin. And laughter is good.
Then he went to the church bench, scooped up a full handful of candles and began handing them out to people. For free.
And he gave my Katya two whole candles.”
Further, Olga talks about how, if not for the appearance of a kind priest, for many this unplanned visit to the church would have been the last, and about what true missionary work should be like - church ministers should become those whom they want to be like.
Yes, it’s banal, yes, it’s obvious, but this story caused a heated discussion on social networks, apparently, it’s still relevant. True, they also argue about whether God exists or not, they endlessly quote the parable about a man kicked out of the temple and consoled by God, trivialities about God who is in the soul, and so on, but most of all - remarks about personal experience of contact with “the meek as doves" servants of love.
“...I met a priest at my brother’s baptism: he yelled that if we don’t come to communion, and then suddenly in a moment of misfortune we crawl to him on our knees, he will slam the door in our face.”
“...we have the same thing in Ukraine: in the churches of the Moscow Patriarchate - the same requirements (scarf; skirt, not trousers; heels and manicure - almost a mortal sin and an insult to believers), constant irritation and poorly hidden hatred everywhere; Ukrainian Church and Greek Catholics - love and benevolence, understanding and humanity.”
“...and I walked into the Russian church in Sofia with Sashka, as if on a visit without an invitation, and they stood in the wrong place, and behaved in the wrong way... and there was a feeling that they were about to ask: “Why did they stop?” And when I walked in I’ve never encountered such an attitude in Bulgarian churches (if I can put it that way, of course), it’s always calm.”
“...I live opposite the Yelokhovsky Cathedral, I love it very much, but I always go there with fear, especially after my child was reprimanded there several times.”
“...a disabled daughter in a wheelchair, we went into the church, the same “grandmother” didn’t say anything, but she gave me an incinerated look that they had dragged dirt on the wheels. It was insulting and disgusting.”
“...I came to church after the divorce, and, unable to stand it, I quietly cried. To which I immediately received a remark - tears are a sin and they should not distract others from prayer. And this was the church where we got married - it came flooding in, I couldn’t hold back my tears...”
“...my parents brought me, when I was still little, to a temple, somewhere in the center. They gave me a candle, lit it and told me to put it next to the others (I don’t know what this place where they put them is called), but it didn’t stick, I stood there, waited, and it didn’t stick to the base. And then, apparently, the abbot walked through this temple, preceded by another servant who drove people away. Yes, he literally dispersed people so that they would move aside. And I was on their way with my candle. So this one walking forward would throw me to the side, and I flew in that direction. My parents didn’t try to calm me down or explain in any way what happened. Not being a child anymore, I don’t visit temples or churches. Maybe this story played a certain role.”
“...I once felt sick during the service because of incense. While I was making my way to the exit, I heard so much about myself, they scolded me so much that I was leaving in the middle of the service, that since then I have never been to church.”
“...after my mother died (I was 14 years old), since I was a believer then, they took me to church. There were no psychologists then; they believed that this would help find some kind of consolation and reassurance. But I heard such terrible things there, I felt such an unceremonious and savage attitude that since then I have not been able to overcome myself and go to church.”
“...in Ukraine there are churches of two patriarchates. This is such obscurantism - scarves, skirts (if you are wearing pants, wrap them up to your ears, here are the public shawls) in the Moscow Patriarchate. Covering a child’s head – what kind of nonsense is that?”
“...I was almost 13 years old, my grandfather was taken to St. Petersburg for an operation to replace a valve, my mother and grandmother left with him, I was left alone with my great-grandmother. And on the day of the operation, my friend and I were walking in the park where the temple stands, I really wanted to go in and light a candle. I still can’t explain what it was. But they scolded me from all sides so that I ran, dropping my slippers. Everything I did was wrong and it “won’t help the person.” I can say one thing, my grandfather did not survive that operation. He was everything to me. And the whole situation in the church stood before my childhood eyes for many more years. Alas".
“...I was going through a difficult divorce and thought that I could find support in the church. They scared me so much that I sat and cried in the yard on a bench. I didn’t go near the church for 10 years. I still wonder why in Orthodoxy we are God’s servants, but in other Christian movements we are God’s children. I’m not ready for theological disputes, but I don’t understand why people aren’t very welcome in our churches sometimes.”
“...one day, about 30 years ago or even a little more, my future husband and I were walking along the Embankment. Young and cheerful, the whole world is before us. And, suddenly, we heard the ringing of bells from the nearest cathedral. Trinity Cathedral was majestic and beautiful, sparkling with golden domes over the Volga, and the melody of the bells seemed to call to itself. Shall we come in? Certainly. Still holding hands, but no longer laughing, we quietly and calmly entered the cathedral. The sun's rays permeated the hall, the smell of incense... I wanted to stand and stay here... “Why are you holding hands here?” - a loud ominous whisper knocked us out of our state of awe... - You can’t! There's a church here! Stay on the street!’ Well, we left, on the street... So that we would never return to this church.”
Thirty years of mission - and undying complaints about evil grannies. Although how many of these grannies have changed over the years. Intellectuals discuss translations of services, the secrets of creating a “real” community, Kochetkov’s ecclesiological views, Schmemann’s theology of joy, and those who are called parishioners still feel superfluous in churches. Maybe it's for the better?..
Drawing by Vyacheslav Polukhin
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Slavery in the Bible
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In the Old Testament, among the Jews, a slave was not powerless, but a friend, servant, confidant and, even if the owner did not have a son, his heir. For example, Abraham had a slave named Eliezer, who is described in Scripture as “a member of the family” (Genesis chapter 15, verses 2-3). In addition, Abraham entrusted Eliezer with a high mission: finding a bride for his son. He provided the slave with a caravan of camels, gave him jewelry and other gifts for his son's future wife, and provided him with food and clothing. Eliezer could have run away from his master, but he completed an important task.
In the book of Solomon's Proverbs we read:
“A wise servant will rule over a dissolute son, and he will divide the inheritance among his brothers” (chapter 17, verse 2).
From these words it follows that the head of the family could transfer a share of the inheritance of his children to a conscientious and decent slave if the latter was unworthy.
The Law of Moses prohibited lifelong slavery:
“If you buy a Jewish slave, let him work for six years; and on the seventh, release him. If he came alone, let him go out alone. And if he is married, let his wife go out with him” (Exodus, chapter 21, verses 2-3).
A slave is not one who was deprived of freedom, but one who voluntarily chose something over it
But why are we servants of God? Was it really impossible to establish an equal relationship between God and man? Let's not rush to conclusions just yet. First, let's understand why they say that we are servants of God.
And the first reason for this is the counterbalance to the expressions “slave of sin”, “slave of passion”, “slave of fear”. Let us remember Ozhegov: a slave is a person who has subordinated himself to something.
Is slavery to passion similar to the fate of a real slave? Does such a person feel tortured or oppressed by his feelings? No. On the contrary, a slave of passion is a happy person (at least from the point of view of the benefits of the material world). He is immersed in what gives pleasure.
Would such a person want to escape from his slavery? Hardly. Well, until he finds some more pleasant pastime.
There is such a popular allegory, it is told in different ways in relation to such cases:
“A student came to the teacher and said: “You are wise, you were able to cope with your various passions. Teach me to get rid of lust."
The teacher replied: “Okay, go to bed, and then I will teach you.”
The student listened, but woke up from a terrible scream. He ran out and found the teacher holding on to a tree. “It won’t let me go, help me!” the elder turned to the student.
“I don’t understand anything. — The student was surprised. - Teacher, the tree cannot hold you. You are the one holding it. Just let go."
“That’s exactly what you do with your lust,” the teacher explained.
The same thing happens in a relationship with any passion. Is it possible to call a person who consciously clings to a tree himself a slave of the tree? You can name it. But it cannot be taken seriously as such. He is a slave not because the tree deprived him of his freedom, and then he deprived himself of freedom so as not to tear himself away from the tree.
Any attachment can be called slavery, but its source is the person himself, and not an external force
The address "slave" as a form of respect and politeness
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Often when addressing someone higher (a king, a god, etc.), a Man would call himself his slave to show his loyalty, allegiance, or affiliation with him as a leader and chief. For example, Joab, who commanded the armies of King David (2 Kings, chapter 18, verse 29), called himself servant Ruth when he addressed the groom (Book of Ruth, chapter 3, verse 9), the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mary says of herself: “Behold the Servant of the Lord; Let it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38), expressing obedience and intention to serve the Lord to do what He has commanded.
Suggested reading: What does the phrase “If you hit your right cheek, turn your left” mean?
The word "slave" is used not in a metaphorical sense, but in a literal one
The word slave in Russian has three similar meanings. Let's quote Ozhegov's dictionary:
Meaning 1. In a slave society: a person deprived of all rights and means of production and who is the complete property of the owner who controls his work and life. Slave labor. Slave trade. Slave revolt.
Value 2 . peren, Dependent, oppressed person.
Value 3 . trans., someone. A person who has completely subordinated someone to something. yourself, your will, actions (book). R. passions. R. your habits. Turn a friend into a slave.
There are no “convenient” figurative meanings here that would allow us to say that the word slave has a metaphorical meaning. No, that’s right, there is God, there is His servant.
And you shouldn’t think at all that in ancient times the word slave had some other, softer meaning. A slave is someone who fulfills the will of someone or something else, serves someone alone, actually belongs to him. It is these harsh formulations that are applicable to our conversation.
The concept of “servant of God” implies devotion, but not weak-willedness
The servant of God is the one whom the Lord protects
Another important aspect: the one who has accepted the image of a servant of God is under the protection of the Almighty. This analogy is not immediately obvious to us, but for the inhabitants of ancient Rome it was very clear.
What is a slave, besides the fact that he is a man who serves the master? This is also the one who is under the protection of this very gentleman.
Is it possible for someone to order someone else's slave? Would anyone dare to harm this slave? No. For the slave is endowed with the patronage of the master, which means that any actions against him are also an attack on the master. The higher the master, the more patronage and protection the slave enjoyed.
Here we can draw a successful parallel - a servant of God under the protection of the Almighty. Where can you find even more protection?
If a person is a servant of God, this means that he has cast aside passions and lives according to the Law of God
Speaking about the servant of God, we mean that this person chose to hold on to the Lord, and not to bad habits or his vices.
This is not so much a statement of man’s dependence on God as a statement of the fact that he preferred Him, the Most High, to all other attachments that he could have.
That is, apparently, the expression “slave of passion” first appeared, and only then - servant of God. And if a slave of passion destroys himself and is forced to go downward in life, then the servant of God is not a person who is limited in some way.
By saying that we are slaves of God, we emphasize our freedom from everything else in the world.
“Why do you need to be someone’s slave at all?” the astute reader will ask.
No, not necessarily. After all, this is not slavery, but a way of speaking. In the pursuit of freedom, you can give up everything.
- “I am not a slave to the TV” - and throw it out the window.
- “I’m not a slave to work,” and they quit.
- “I am not a slave to friends” - and they stopped communicating with everyone.
But ask yourself: is this freedom? Or, on the contrary, will such behavior lead to the most terrible ascetic self-limitation? More likely the second, don’t you agree? That is, freedom is far from being in emptiness, it is in the correct filling of life, correctly set priorities.
What does a person need to join in order to remain himself? What is a person? In the image and likeness of God. Accordingly, it is in God that he finds his true, free nature.
There is such a view of God as an organism, and of man as an erythrocyte in this huge organism. A person could live without one red blood cell. Could an erythrocyte cope without a person? Is it possible to remove yourself from the Universe, deprive yourself of air, heat, light and call it freedom? Hardly. Our existence is conditioned by God.
It is in a relationship with God that a person finds true freedom.
Then is it true to say that the red blood cell is a slave of man? To a certain extent, yes: he must live according to certain laws, for the benefit of his entire world-organism. And violators of biological laws turn into cancer cells.
But is an erythrocyte deprived of freedom if all that the body requires of it is to be an erythrocyte? God asks us: “People, be people, be My likeness.” Is slavery bad just to be like God?
A person without attachments becomes not free, but a slave of emptiness and loneliness
When we see a beautiful woman, we compare her with a Goddess; when we talk about a talented person, we say that he does something like God. Live like God - which means perfect. This is the Law of God, that is, not a set of restrictions, but a list of rules for happiness.
If the word “slave” in a prayer prevents you from praying sincerely, it is better to avoid it than to pray not from the heart
In Orthodox prayers the word “servant/servant of God/of God” is regularly used. Sometimes this becomes an obstacle to sincere prayer. A person does not want to call himself a slave against his will.
Is it possible to pray differently?
Although the Orthodox canon recommends using texts from the prayer book, priests understand that prayer must be sincere. If formalism becomes an obstacle to communication with God, prayer can be adjusted. God looks not into words, but into thoughts.
But Orthodoxy does not greatly welcome such indulgences, and there are a lot of negative opinions on this matter.
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