The Ecstactic Addiction

I listened to an interview with Barnabas Powell, a former Pentecostal preacher turned Orthodox . His critique of his past was particularly interesting. He mentions how, in the New Testament, when Jesus healed someone, He'd generally ask them to be quiet about it.

Miracles are important, but they are not the point. And yet, often we seem to be yearning for big things to happen so that we can advertise it to the world. Perhaps, in some cases, this is precisely why certain big things don't happen. If God wants a relationship with you, but all you are doing is looking for the next big miraculous high...

Barnabas tells of a sign on Mt. Athos that says something like:

Miraculous things happen here everyday, if you are healed or experience something, do not be disturbed, and don't make too much of it.


At a certain point it would literally be impossible to do anything if we felt it necessary to recount every event, so even now we must discern what it makes sense to talk about and what it doesn't.