S T . J O HN THE BAPTIS T G RE E K O RTHODO X C HURC H
T HE F ORERUNNER V OLUME XXX N UMBER
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FEBR UARY 2014
T HE T AO O F “W HATEVER ” A ND T HE A BOLITION O F MAN Living in a multi-cultural, post-modern world brought to us by the new era of rapid communication we are more and more exposed to cultures that are, or at least seem to be, very remote from our own. Although many of them are in fact foreign there are times when we find in them something that strikes a sensitive chord with us. Take for instance the concept of “Tao”, found in the homonym religious movement, Taoism, but also in Buddhism, Confucianism and even in eastern martial arts.
S PE CIA L
POI NT S OF
I N TE R E ST :
The Tao Of “Whatever” And The Abolition Of Man.
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The Feast of the Meeting of the Lord—Fr. Thomas Hopko
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An easy explanation of Tao would be a path or way of life. James Legge, a famous researcher of Chinese culture, described Taoism as “the exhibition of a way or method of living, which men should cultivate as the highest and purest development of their nature.” Tao is a way in which one should conduct oneself in order to fulfill their highest potential, make the best out of their existence. I am not going to examine what this path really is in the context of far eastern thinking, but would like to stop and reflect on the very proposal of following a path in life in our contemporary social context.
I N SI DE
T HI S I SSU E :
Nowadays we live in a postmodern world, a movement that was very simply and accurately defined by Jean Francois Lyotard as “incredulity towards metanarratives”. I know these are some big words so let me put it into simpler terms: it is a general mistrust in all the big C O UN C IL CA PS UL E
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Y O UTH M IN IS TRIES
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P HIL O PTOC HO S
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C OUNCIL C AP S ULE I would like to start by offering my sincere appreciation for all of the support and well wishes that I and the rest of the 2014 Parish Council have received in the last couple of weeks. During the initial meeting on January 5th, an election was held for the executive leadership. Your Parish Council officers are as follow: Jeremy Ellis – President, Harry Karegeannes – Vice President, Nicholas Stanosheck – Treasure, and Olympia Genovezos – Secretary.
M US IC
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C A L ENDAR (Continued on page 2)
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