ECUMENISM AND ETHOPHYLISM THE VIEW OF ORTODOX CHRISTIANS
Authors: Stojanović Ljubinko 
Published: November 2021

Despite being obviously contradictory to each other, a common question is spelled by both ecumenism and ethnophilysm. How the unity is to be achieved by Christian people? How one could come to lifetime friendship with all those having diff erent beliefs or with those not having any belief at all? That very unity means togetherness in God, and not an agreement based on minimum concordance. Thus, such unity is to be realized in respective church’s community where all nations and all people are called up. In that sense, ecumenism merits its full sense within church’s authenticity of dialogue between diff erent ones, as well as within creative communication of all those who would like to achieve and edify themselves through church. However, there are certain obstrictions and drawbacks which could be superseded only when we all become part of togetherness in beatifi c love of God, which is fully come out as Blessed Empire of Father and Son and Holly Spirit, with “no Greeks, neither Jews, but Christ is all in everything”. In this way, we are all winning and nobody is defeated or dismissed – we are all materialized as “one man in Christ”. An undeniable rule here is that “higher” should serve “lower”, and that implies disposition and order. Therefore, Orthodox Christians are the most responsible side in ecumenical dialogue in which all participants should be welcomed witnessing salutary joyfulness. Thus, all nations and all people are jointly realized in Christ’s love. The diff erences are clear and they are not inessential – but, such diff erences should not be the reason unnegotiable confl icts. Here, the tolerance is just the beginning of realization, while all is replenished in vivid and living love. In addition to this theological standpoint, there are social and political reasons for putting the faith into function of substantiation of peace, justice and truth in life. The responsibility of all those who believe should be factor of integration in all human relations, and not reason for upsets, intolerance and confl icts between various and diff erent creeds. By its particular quality, the religion excludes intolerance, tyranny, slavery, servitude, fear and selfi shness. The religion means that one is ready to understand everybody, since it is not and it should not be grouping of those having same ideas. The religion is constant readiness in benefi cence – in diff erent case, there is no religion despite nominal conformity of individuals to certain community. Only when believer has introspected whole heaviness, he is to understand the strength of faith. And, that is to be confi rmed by his benevolence to everybody. The ecumenism is confi rmation of our common benevolence, while ethnophilysm shows that we stand just at the beginning – but, one should set out forward. Only in that way all of us would reach the end despite the fact that we are on diff erent paths, pathways and winding footpaths... This responsibility is on all Christians, and particularly on those who emphassize their orthodox denomination. Nobody should be afraid of this, nobody should traduce this, and nobody should leave this to negligence. We are all supposed to do our best, while God always replenish by mulitplying to no-end and infi nity. And, in such way, everything really becomes new, unlimitedly new – we all become good forever without giving up, we all become persevering in love.