Molded
Molded
June 8, 2025
My artistic skills leave much to be desired. But I have always loved looking at art, and art history was one of my majors in college. Since then, I have relished visiting numerous museums whenever I travel. Perhaps because I lack any artistic skills in any medium, I appreciate those with talent to create art. The fact that I have no talent or skills in this area was pointed out to me by my fifth-grade art teacher. I do not recall the exact assignment, but I vividly remember painting a picture of a vase with flowers. The vase that I painted had no base at its bottom, but instead came to a V-shape. The art teacher was quick to point out that my creation was silly, as the vase was incapable of standing up without a base to hold it up and therefore would collapse. My eleven-year-old ego was somewhat bruised after the negative comment made by the teacher. Only decades later did I think of a retort. If Picasso could paint a woman with one eye and three breasts with flesh in several colors, why couldn’t I paint a vase that rests on a point? (more…)
The recent Olympics in Paris were quite a spectacle. From the unusual opening parade on the Seine River to the amazing story of US gymnast Simone Biles, the Olympics were an impressive competition to behold. Nevertheless, the event was not without its controversies. What struck me, in particular, was the storm surrounding the women’s boxing match and the boxer from Algeria.
Four Weddings and a Funeral is a British movie, released in 1994, about the romantic adventures of Charles, played by Hugh Grant, and his lively group of friends as they support each other through a series of life events. Perhaps one of the most touching and memorable scenes takes place at the funeral of one of the friends, Gareth. It is revealed at the service that Gareth was not only gay but in a relationship with another member of the circle of friends, Matthew. In his eulogy, Matthew said “Gareth used to prefer funerals to weddings. He said it was easier to get enthusiastic about a ceremony one had an outside chance of eventually being involved in.”
Through the generosity of the editors of “Orthodoxy in Dialogue,” we are pleased to re-post a wonderfully sincere and poignant piece entitled “A Gay’s Man Dormition Story”, published on their website on August 15, 2023, by an anonymous source. Please read the full article by following the link to “Orthodoxy in Dialogue” below, following the first paragraph of the work. 
My father and I had what can only be described as an up and down relationship. My father was immensely proud of the fact that I was a priest and earned a Ph.D. and was able to teach in Seminary, educating future leaders of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. And yet what worried him constantly, and even embarrassed him, was my life-long struggle with weight. For as long as I can remember I wanted to be a priest and for as long as I can remember I have struggled with weight issues. Although I never questioned my father’s joy and happiness with my pastoral achievements, I did have a life-long question: “Would my father love me more if I were not overweight? Not far from that question, was another disconcerting and constant question: “Would my father still love me, if he knew I was gay?”