Great essay! It’s very difficult to describe what happens internally when you truly “get it”.
While the setting was much different, I know very well how overwhelming and humbling that moment is. It isn’t something you can draw a diagram of or dissect in a lab, but it’s more real than anything I’ve ever experienced.
Thanks man. And exactly: faith is one of those ineffable things you just can’t narrow down to scientific principles. You get it or you don’t. I can’t do much better than that.
Love hearing your grandpa's story, Alex! What a life... to continue to be filled with such kindness and compassion after witnessing all those atrocities. An amazing example of Christ.
Karaiskakis was an animal. I wish I had a grandfather, much less one like yours. Immense respect for your commitment to your faith.
I’m not a believer, but we do need deep faith or understanding of guiding principles and forces much greater than the fucking shitshow that’s been going on for too long now. One or the other, it matters not to me who I stand next to, as long as they’re solid.
I never had a grandfather. One died five years before I was born. The other was a German immigrant and was viewed as bad by my mother’s aunts, and my mom was told that he was dead. He tried finding her about the same time that she, in-turn, decided to track his life and found him still alive. He was suffering from stage 4 cancer and was pretty much gone by the time I met him.
I don’t have to say “Consider yourself lucky” because you already do.
I am moved by the obvious love you have for your grandfather and your heritage, of which your faith is such an inextricable part. Plus, your grandfather was a terrier!
I appreciate your dedication to proper research of history by posting primary sources, especially that letter. Such artifacts must be spread far and wide so future generations can properly appreciate good scholarship in all it's erudite glory. I also applaud and salute your your resolve to tell your enemies that they shall fart on your balls.
Tabarnac I forgot about that letter to the Ottomans, hehehehe vous les Grecques, you Greeks are always so hilarious and to the point politically as with all things, and am sorry at all that your grandfather endured am amazed at what he survived.
'3 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. 1 John 3'
All that I can say is that if the Apostle John, who from what I can tell, had already literally seen the Revelation when he wrote this, didn't know what the end was gonna be like, then anybody who tells you that they do is talking out of their ass. But all of our hopes are summed up so fully and concisely, 'we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is' and all of our call in this life 'purifies himself, just as He is pure'. I would only stop to say that purity means that something is all one thing. It's all gold or all shit or all man. There is nothing else mixed in. Our goal, for this life anyway, is simply to be fully man like the Son of Man.(everyone else calls Him 'Son of God' but He had this incomprehensible preference for emphasizing His manhood. What are we missing there?)
Great essay! It’s very difficult to describe what happens internally when you truly “get it”.
While the setting was much different, I know very well how overwhelming and humbling that moment is. It isn’t something you can draw a diagram of or dissect in a lab, but it’s more real than anything I’ve ever experienced.
Thanks man. And exactly: faith is one of those ineffable things you just can’t narrow down to scientific principles. You get it or you don’t. I can’t do much better than that.
Love hearing your grandpa's story, Alex! What a life... to continue to be filled with such kindness and compassion after witnessing all those atrocities. An amazing example of Christ.
Glad you enjoyed the article. Yeah, my grandfather is quite a guy. Very inspiring.
A wonderful article, thank you! I’ll definitely be re reading this a few times
Thanks Chris!
Your grandpa sounds awesome! Straight up need to write his biography!
I know. He’s such an interesting man.
Karaiskakis was an animal. I wish I had a grandfather, much less one like yours. Immense respect for your commitment to your faith.
I’m not a believer, but we do need deep faith or understanding of guiding principles and forces much greater than the fucking shitshow that’s been going on for too long now. One or the other, it matters not to me who I stand next to, as long as they’re solid.
Right on man. This post wasn’t intended to convert anyone, just an example of my own witness, don’t speak.
Didn’t come across that way at all.
I never had a grandfather. One died five years before I was born. The other was a German immigrant and was viewed as bad by my mother’s aunts, and my mom was told that he was dead. He tried finding her about the same time that she, in-turn, decided to track his life and found him still alive. He was suffering from stage 4 cancer and was pretty much gone by the time I met him.
I don’t have to say “Consider yourself lucky” because you already do.
Oooh a good header picture always sucks me in. Ready for it.
That’s how I get ya.
It’s high-level marketing
I am moved by the obvious love you have for your grandfather and your heritage, of which your faith is such an inextricable part. Plus, your grandfather was a terrier!
I love your writing. Please keep doing it
Thank you Sridhar. I really appreciate that!
I appreciate your dedication to proper research of history by posting primary sources, especially that letter. Such artifacts must be spread far and wide so future generations can properly appreciate good scholarship in all it's erudite glory. I also applaud and salute your your resolve to tell your enemies that they shall fart on your balls.
My friend, I am glad you appreciate the hard-hitting historiography I aim to provide with this humble substack.
Wonderful piece.
Thank you Siobhan.
Tabarnac I forgot about that letter to the Ottomans, hehehehe vous les Grecques, you Greeks are always so hilarious and to the point politically as with all things, and am sorry at all that your grandfather endured am amazed at what he survived.
Yeah insult-trading was common along the kleftis who fought the Ottomans in the mountains of Greece. “Your mother” jokes were quite common.
Lmao, and has since become a serious sport in Greece…. man I love your people.
Your thoughts brought this to my mind,
'3 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. 1 John 3'
All that I can say is that if the Apostle John, who from what I can tell, had already literally seen the Revelation when he wrote this, didn't know what the end was gonna be like, then anybody who tells you that they do is talking out of their ass. But all of our hopes are summed up so fully and concisely, 'we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is' and all of our call in this life 'purifies himself, just as He is pure'. I would only stop to say that purity means that something is all one thing. It's all gold or all shit or all man. There is nothing else mixed in. Our goal, for this life anyway, is simply to be fully man like the Son of Man.(everyone else calls Him 'Son of God' but He had this incomprehensible preference for emphasizing His manhood. What are we missing there?)