Orthodoxy, Greek Food and the New Christian West . . .

Today I just read how Chris Kavouklis, age 18, won the annual Tarpon Springs, Florida Greek Orthodox Epiphany "cross dive." (Tampa Tribune, January 7, 2008, Metro section, p.1). The Greeks, always the athletically-inclined (they did invent the Olympic Games you know! :-) have this annual Florida tradition of young men jumping into the chilly Florida waters and retrieving a cross.

Well, from the ancient Greek Olympic Games, I too will now embark on a journey, this time as a Professor of Applied Ethics. I normally teach a variety of courses, ranging from On-Line to ground campus, but this spring and summer, I will get to bring the 'wisdom of Greek philosophy' (Aristotle, Plato) to the Greek Orthodox!

Yes, I will be 'speaking Greek to a Greek community' in the form of St. Petersburg College, Tarpon Springs campus! From Aristotle to Plato, but then into the Christian Era (i.e. St. Thomas Aquinas, Natural Law Thinker . . .) I will embark on a journey 'back in time' (Tarpon Springs, Florida was largely founded as a Greek Orthodox ethnic and religious enclave due to the nice Florida weather . . .).

But, as we celebrate pagan Greek philosophy and athleticism in the West (secular version of history, which is distorted historiography that the E.U. likes to hoist upon folks . . .), let us NEVER forget that the Greek community (St. Paul as a Hellenized Jew who spoke and wrote Greek, as well as the entire New Testament being written in Greek!!!) was the first Gentile community to embrace the GOSPEL message of Jesus Christ!

Even today, it is the CROSS and not some silly Tampa Bay Buccaneers helmet that young Greek Orthodox men dive into frigid Greek waters to retrieve!

Let us, now as a united Continent of Canada, the U.S. and Mexico look to our Greek Orthodox Fathers in the Christian Faith and eat heartily of the food that only Jesus Christ can provide. The future of the West lies not with scientific advancement, nor does it even lie with human rights, but with the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus Christ!

Amen and Amen!

KURIOSIESUSCHRISTOS (Greek transliteration of the English, "Jesus Christ is LORD")

Love in Christ, Rob J. King, Professor, Scholar and Democrat for Christ