Sometimes, better examples of miracles occur—someone lost in the wilderness with only a bag of peanuts is found alive after weeks alone. Someone sitting in just the right seat and approaching earth at just the right angle falls from the heavens and survives an airline crash. Someone outlives a medical prognosis. Thirty-three miners survive underground for 70 days. A dead patient revives on the operating table. Or, in my case, I am warned not to eat at the grimy diner down the road, yet I somehow survive the explosive outcome.
A miracle either is or isn’t. We’re all to blame for the waning excitement of miracles. We overuse them. The last truly great miracles cast Lazarus and Jesus in the starring roles, so it’s no honor for modern man to disparage the notion of miracles and the faithful who find comfort in them by claiming things like, “I got so drunk last night, it’s a miracle I passed my midterm.”
How far have miracles sunk? They’re not even front-page news, that’s how far. They’re now in the second section, below the fold, and jumped to an inside page. I was reading The Salt Lake Tribune on Oct. 26 and stopped at the story about events in the Greek (or Eastern) Orthodox Parish in Salt Lake City. The story was about a potential split of the current single parish into two new ones. It was a good story, despite containing a quote from me about a recent vote on the split. There’s not enough space here to explain the nuances between a parish general assembly (boring stuff like deciding if the petty-cash account is sufficiently funded) and a legal meeting of the members of the community (boring stuff like keeping in accordance of state charters and bylaws). The meeting I attended was a membership meeting. It was an open meeting. It had open dialogue and had an open vote—a stark contrast to how things have operated lately at that church.
I ordinarily wouldn’t comment on that, since operational items in a private church as transpired this past week are better left to reporters. But, I’ve decided to comment because of words attributed to a local parish priest, Father Michael Kouremetis—words that are now public. He says he is witness to a miracle.
I wasn’t bothered that he downplayed the importance of more than 400 Greek Orthodox meeting in unity this past Sunday. He said the meeting wasn’t “sanctioned by the church at all.” He’s right, but it didn’t have to be. I wasn’t bothered that he said, “You have to follow the rules” despite that another part of the story hinted at financial rules being broken at his church, Prophet Elias. I wasn’t bothered by his claim that Prophet Elias is filled each Sunday with “happy, joyful people who want to worship” despite sensing—as one who quit attending the services of Kouremetis and who now travels downtown to Holy Trinity instead—his words are a wee bit exaggerated.
STAFF BOX: Have you ever experienced a miracle?
What bothers me is that he spoiled an opportunity to speak about healing and growth by politicizing a “miracle” at Prophet Elias. Kouremetis and his higher authority, Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver, in very short order apparently interpreted the miracle to be a sign of God’s favor.
The miracle? An icon of Christ the Archpriest (that’s right, I don’t know what that icon represents, either) is said to have recently began exuding oil. Besides the fact that the icon resides beneath an oil lamp; and besides that, at least one observer of the wet icon considered it an oil spill (exuding?); and besides that, others were told it was a spillage—the official message to the local parish is clear: The “miracle” is an answer to prayers that the local parish should become independent. You lose! God’s on our side! On the count of three: Laugh at the Greeks.
One can question the timing—thanks to the community gradually becoming aware of months of dubious, behind-the-scenes machinations and Bourne-like secrecy, enthusiasm for splitting the parish is waning. One can even point to tradition—it wouldn’t be the first timely “miracle” presented as evidence to keep those dollars coming. Fake miracles occur throughout Orthodoxy, and a website even shows how to produce them.
Last month, I visited St. John the Baptist Monastery, high in the hills above our ancestral home in Megara, Greece. It was founded by my dad’s cousin, one of the most well-known nuns in all of Greece, and in it, I saw holy artifacts few get to see. It doesn’t matter what they mean to me—I know and respect what they mean to others. My own first cousin is a Greek Orthodox monk. Mocking what someone terms a miracle is not of my nature—unless the miracle requires a basketball.
Kouremetis invited the press into this one. I hope he’s right about it, because if this is a tease of the Greek Orthodox people—a ridicule of the core believers and most faithful of the parish, a chance to woo the children, or played as evidence that hundreds are wrong about the future of the Orthodox parishes in Salt Lake City—then this is a very bad thing. And if so, it will be a miracle if anyone remains faithful to Kouremetis.
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John
Saltas
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To the Church Militant and my response to His Grace Metropolitan Isaiah,
It is difficult to accept what a hierarch has stated. It is always difficult to listen to any spiritual father in confession because he may instruct us about something we just do not want to do. Our personal will appear to take over our Lord’s will. And our Lord will still love us, as I hope the disenfranchised parishioners will love people like myself who firmly stand behind independent churches. Apparently the parish council and others have witnessed the oil streams from the icon. Also, after the service yesterday more streams of holy oil came from the Icon of Christ with more witnesses. A couple of comments to fellow Orthodox Christians:
1. Weeping icons of myrrh, oil, tears, blood and water are for the faithful – meaning the people who believe in the resurrected Jesus Christ. These miracles are NOT for non-believers. Our very own parishioners who mock this icon are currently carrying out acts from the evil one. These acts are similar to the evil acts by people who spit on Christ during His march to the cross. The Holy Icon with oil is proof that our Lord is present among us. It is not by coincidence that this happened on October 17th 2010. It happened when our Lord decided to anoint the faithful with His very own oil. It is simple. You believe in the icon with holy oil or you don’t. There is no lab test, no scientific explanation, no reason for the Metropolitan to fly in town for confirmation, just pure faith.
2. You can argue what the Metropolitan interpreted about the icon, but who in this community is better qualified or experienced or has greater authority than the Metropolitan. He appears harsh in his letters but he is a good man. Let lawyers be lawyers and spiritual leaders be spiritual leaders. The sadness is that mud flinging (like “Talaban” or “he is your Metropolitan, not mine” or “Just let me know, my gun is ready” or “The Metropolitan is a tyrant” or “Liar”) is fueling vengeance among parishioners (current lawsuits and more lawsuits to come). We are all unified in the church Militant. There is no need to be dependant churches for unity.
Let’s get real. What is the big deal about two independent churches? The argument that our forefathers created it this way, and we need to stick together as one. This does not work for me. We are not American history. We are not just Greek. We are not living under a tyrant who prevents us going to church. We are Orthodox Christians. Many years have past, our church size is growing, and we can not successfully manage ourselves as we did in the past. A church body has two arms, two legs but NOT TWO heads. The current mess in our community is a direct result of two churches. Face it. We the people of this community do not accept responsibility for our own problems, but blame ONE priest and ONE hierarch.
From my experience these last few months here in Salt Lake City, there are more bitter feelings, bad mouth talk, than examples of genuine Christian love. Many years have past and the needs between two churches are very different. No “Pantocrataro” at Prophet Elias for 6 years. This is a good example that we just can’t get the job done. It is either because we need to spend a huge amount of money to show off, or we can be practical and provide a simple inexpensive solution that glorifies Christ. This is shameful for all of us.
In my personal opinion, John Saltas in his magazine article has a lot of balls to write:
“Besides the fact that the icon resides beneath an oil lamp; and besides that, at least one observer of the wet icon considered it an oil spill (exuding?); and besides that, others were told it was a spillage—the official message to the local parish is clear: The “miracle” is an answer to prayers that the local parish should become independent. You lose! God’s on our side! On the count of three: Laugh at the Greeks.”
I did not see Mr. Saltas at the church yesterday evening as a witness for himself. Either because of his lack of faith or that he was embarrassed to stand in church with the silent majority who he is slandering. Maybe it is because he is too impatient to discover the truth. I expect that type of reporting from the “Xenee”, but not a parishioner.
The bottom line is that Metropolitan Isaiah is in a position to decide that two independent parishes are for the betterment of our church in the long run. Ultimately the final decision is his and he made it clear. I respect that and I stand in support of his decision. It does not change any of my personal relationships with people from Holy Trinity or Prophet Elias. With or without the split, all of us can be unified through partakers of the divine sacraments (includes confession). The Metropolitan’s decision is purely an ADMINSTRATIVE DECISION. If we all ACT like Christians then we will get along just fine. We will be able to work out any difference. It will all be okay. STOP THE LAW SUITS.
PS The audit report is very clear about the community problems. This is proof that one community can NOT manage two churches. The contested 87% statistic of dependant church supporters is almost 4 years ago. The entire WORLD has changed in 4 years (including President Bush). Let us move on. The good news is that the Metropolitan and Synod of bishops will not reverse the decision for independent churches.
My love is the same for the supporters of the Metropolitan as well as the ones who call him a liar. Lord Have Mercy on all of us, Mihali Zervos
Mr Saltas, I am sure the readership of your newspaper skyrocketed after your column hit the newsstands. You are speaking for the people who do not have the guts to speak out. You are a brave soul, keep up the good work and fight for what you believe in. I am sure you get hate email from the people who are brainwashed by your clergy, but they will soon learn the truth. I was in Salt Lake on business and unfortunately went to the "miracle service" and was mortified a priest could be such a bully at the pulpit about this article. Has he heard of "Freedom of Speech?"
Let us all remember that, "A good tree produces good fruit." Father Kouremetis, "rejoice when people abuse you and persecute you, for your reward will be great in Heaven."
"Beloved, those that assert that these Works are not from Me, the Lord, but are through spiritism or occultism, I ask them this question: can Satan divide himself against himself? If he is divided against himself, how can his kingdom then stand?"
Ezekiel 34:1-31
..Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?..34:2
some of our "shepherds" are portraying similar attributes.