"A desire for action is generally a very good thing. But we should restrain the desire to change the world. Changing the world is a thought habit of modernity driven by the arrogance of our age. How things turn out in the world is entirely up to God. It is up to us to change ourselves and live rightly and well. The aggregate of such actions are very much in the hand of God. If He choose to bless, even very small things can have a profound effect. Americans are particularly subject to the temptation to change the world. We get all judgmental about the lack of schools, hospitals, etc., on the part of the Orthodox. I’ve heard various such things (rants). Gosh, just having a healthy parish is a pretty big accomplishment in most places in our country.
I have often told my convert-dominated parish here in Appalachia, that our first task is to simply be an authentic Orthodox community, so that there’ll be one when someone comes looking for it. And we have been that parish for many. Just 15 years ago we were a very tiny group meeting in a Warehouse. We’re still small by many measures – but so much more complete than we were 15 years ago.
It is a great contentment to me that I will fall asleep not having seen the fruit of my labor."
+ Fr Stephen Freeman, Comments in http://glory2godforallthings.com/2013/10/16/the-all-consuming-vocation/
