Tsar St. Nicholas II and his family are extremely polarizing among many people in the west. Their lives and their martyrdom are well discussed in many history classes purely based as a popular uprising and a revolution that lead to the formation of the communist state. While there are complex issues about the Romanov family and especially Tsar St. Nicholas II, that could be said of all of us. One decision, one choice does not define us. In the world today there is a tendency for people who the world deems as controversial to be “cancelled.” That is that their entire past and words spoken by them are used to show that the person they are today is the same person they’ve always been and cannot change . However we in the church are called to change our lives and constantly grow and become more like Christ day by day. Having recently discussed this particular topic with a dear friend of mine (shout out to you Yianni!) we both agree that history classes and world history in general paints the Tsar as this weak figure and the reason behind the attempt of the people to form a communist state which led to 100 years of atrocities within the so called Soviet Union. However, history would also point to a different Tsar. One who tried his very best to maintain the heart of orthodoxy within the Empire when it’s citizens and as seen by the capitulation of the church in particular those like Metropolitan Sergius (even though he later recanted) were led to a more demonic interpretation of Christianity and the ways of the world. Tsar St Nicholas is well known for visiting various monasteries, laying the cornerstone of many churches and returning Russia to a more traditional way of life. Without Holy Tradition within the church, you don’t have Holy Orthodoxy. Tsar St. Nicholas saw this and he understood that the westernization of Russia was slowly bringing about its downfall. He encouraged traditional icons, he begged his people by his example to deny themselves and take up the cross of Christ. Not only that but within his reign the church increased by 10,000 churches and a total of 57,000 churches were standing by the end of his reign. One thousand and twenty five monasteries were active within the church by the time Tsar Nicholas II was martyred. However as we have seen in history this was not to last and eventually things turned sour in Russia. Vladimir Lenin and his followers infiltrated the various places of society and were successful in turning the hearts and minds of the people away from God and His Church and persecuted them heavily after the martyrdom of the Tsar and his family. This period can best again be summed up by that friend of mine who I discussed this topic with. Russian Orthodoxy had stood for a 1000 years before the Bolsheviks began to ruin the church. And even then they could not destroy it. So now that we have entered the new year and a new chapter in Russian and world history, Tsar St. Nicholas’ call for all of us to return to traditional ways of life and to submit ourselves in obedience to the church and those in authority rings even more true now. We must completely change our way of life, submit ourselves to God and become more like Christ. Only then can we truly change the world. I pray that St. Nicholas intercedes on all our behalves and that we may learn from his example.
“Most noble and sublime was your life and death, O Sovereigns;
Wise Nicholas and blest Alexandra, we praise you,
Acclaiming your piety, meekness, faith, and humility,
Whereby ye attained to crowns of glory in Christ our God,
With your five renowned and godly children of blessed fame.
O passion–bearers decked in purple, intercede for us”
No comments:
Post a Comment