Living in Christ in the world

This article by Father Ignace Peckstadt, priest of the Flemish parish of Saint Andrew in Ghent, originates from a paper presented at an Orthodox congress. Belonging to the genre of pastoral meditation enriched with personal examples, it addresses the scriptural tension between the rejection of the world and God's love for it. The author argues that the Orthodox Christian is not called to flee the world, but to transfigure it by shining within it as an icon of Christ. Structured around spiritual freedom, the welcoming of the other, and thanksgiving, the presentation shows that professional, family, and liturgical life form an inseparable whole. On the theological level, it highlights the "royal priesthood" of all the baptized and the Divine Liturgy as the source and extension of all Christian mission in the world.