My Mission Trip to Africa

As a great fan of Africa (especially Orthodox Africa), I was happy to receive an invitation from the Loitokitok bishopric (Archdiocese of Kenya, Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria) to go and help them with the mission (doing catechism and social work, and possibly fulfilling other tasks) in Maasai lands in Kenya in April 2013 (dates are flexible, as of now). However, the one thing that causes my deep concern is the funding of this trip. I'll have to spend ca. $1,500 on the tickets, travel insurance, visa, etc. (proof of financial independence). I would greatly appreciate it if y'all could a). pray for God's will to happen; b). donate some money to support this trip c). pass my appeal to some of your friends/acquaintances who would be willing to help.

Have You Ever Considered the Fact That...

... it was Christianity that boosted linguistics, translations and translation studies?

SS Cyril and Methodius, the great translators, Fathers of Slavic civilization.

Unlike Islam, which insists on 'un-createdness' and 'un-translatability' of the Quran, or Buddhism and other Oriental religions, which have been extremely ethnically centered, unlike even Judaism, which only Alexander the Great could force into translating its holy Book, the Torah, into Greek, the lingua franca of the antiquity, Christianity immediately acknowledged the necessity to translate what Jesus and His disciples had said, due to its universalist, all-embracing claims. Early Christians were not afraid of the inevitable loss of certain layers of meaning typical of any translation. The Good News of the Incarnation of the Logos was not subject to any culture or language, it was meant to be beyond all cultures and embrace all languages.

Since then, the Bible was translated into countless languages, more than any other book. In fact, for some of those languages, the Bible still remains the only written piece of literature; even for some of the world's major languages in terms of speakers and area, the Bible was the beginning of written tradition, the beginning of literature (as is the case with Russian, for instance). Translators of the Bible have been travelling far and wide, creating alphabets, describing grammars, compiling dictionaries... It is thanks to their work that we have linguistics (and translation studies, as a branch of linguistic) in its modern sense. We as linguists and translators must always remember that.

On Living Up to What You Preach, or Blessed Are the Poor

There is a number of Christian denominations today that preach the so called "Prosperity Gospel" which has its roots in the Calvinist/Reformed view on the Predestination. This 'Gospel' says that you can know you are 100% "Once Saved, Always Saved" by looking on your wealth. "God wants you to be happy = prosperous", they say. Does it make sense?

It is interesting to note that most of the earliest copies of the Sermon on the Mount read, "Blessed are the poor", period, and do not add [of spirit]. Why are the poor blessed? Because they imitate our Lord who was born in a cave and was poor throughout His entire life on Earth.
It is true that "the worst form of inequality is trying to make unequal things and men equal" (Aristotle) but we read in many lives of the saints that those of them who had been rich, typically gave everything they had to the poor and followed Christ. This ideal of voluntary poverty has been present throughout the Church history. It is impossible to quote all the passages of the Gospel where Jesus preaches about the importance of poverty. That was why St John of Shanghai was walking around the post-war Paris barefoot. That was why so many rich Christians have fed the poor; in fact, the most effective charities were founded and operated by Christians.
Some people say that this poverty hinders the Orthodox mission and ministry. Well, yes, we lack resources, we lack educated people, we lack many other things, but most importantly, we lack the missionary zeal and voluntarily limit our mission and ministry. The Lord who says, 'Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also', will show us the way and give us everything we need, for verily, "there is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting."
Others say that the Church should be rich and wealthy enough to 'impress' the civil authorities so that they could treat the representatives of the Church on equal terms. However, we have seen and read so many criticisms from many people because of that. It is easy to get rid of these criticisms saying that those people use them as excuses for not coming to the Church, and that it is because of their sins that they find faults with the Church ministers. But aren't we called to "cut off the occasion from them that desire occasion?" The general rule has been this: A preacher mustn't be richer than his poorest listener. Else they don't trust you.
What do you think about it? Comments in any language are welcome!