At the conclusion of this hilarious episode, Colonel Robert O'Neill says "If at first you don't succeed, try, and try and try again."
This reminds me of a favorite Eastern Orthodox saying I refer to often in this life of repentance. "If you fall down, GET UP. If you fall down again, GET UP AGAIN. How long? For the rest of your life."
The Orthodox Church bills itself not as a courtroom where sinners are condemned, but a hospital where they are healed.
For many years in my Christian life, my experience was that my life in Christ was more like a courtroom. I kept waiting for the gavel to fall, for "GUILTY" to be shouted out, and for the heavenly Bailiff (or the men in white coats) to take me away permanently.
Orthodoxy has given me the hope that perhaps things don't have to end that way with me.
It is okay at times as an Eastern Orthodox Christian to doubt that I'm going to be saved.
That's called Humility. From that humility comes the hope that maybe I'll be saved after all.
The key thing to remember is that God is good and I can trust Him with the outcome.
I will simply give this a good solid effort and see what happens.
I know my individual works can't save me, but following hard after God might just do the trick.
If only I had known these things during the dark times in my life. Instead, I wasted a few years on unnecessary despair.
Saint Silouan the Athonite said that Christ told him the secret to Christian humility.
"Keep your mind in hell, and despair not."
In other words, always be mindful that you are worthy of hell, but keep your hopes firmly in Christ.
Humility and Hope. This is what Christianity offers to us, if we will just reach out, believe it, and take hold of it.
The struggle is not the enemy. The struggle is okay.
Fall down, get up again. And again, and again. And hope for the day when falls come to an end.
Blessings in Christ,
Columba Silouan
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