Dear Crystal, If you spent as much time finding ways to spread Christ\u2019s truth as you do complaining about campus \u201cpolitical correctness\u201d you would already have eliminated the problem.\u00a0 Everything you say in your notes is right on target, and extremely well put \u2013 but you don\u2019t have to convince me!\u00a0 I already agree with you!\u00a0 I would be willing to receive fewer pieces of correspondence from you in order to see you put your writing skills to work in more productive ways.\u00a0 Why not start a column in the student Daily?\u00a0 Why not write letters to the editor?\u00a0 Why not start your own counter cultural student newspaper dedicated to publicizing the other side of the story?\u00a0 Get the word out!\u00a0 You can follow in the footsteps of today\u2019s saint. Chrysostom, like you, had the gift of eloquence, though it shined forth more n his speaking than in his writing.\u00a0 As a matter of fact, many generations of scholars have agreed that he may be the greatest preacher ever.\u00a0 His Christian mother saw to it that he received the best education available in his day, with a concentration in rhetoric, and he far surpassed his instructors by the time he reached adolescence (this all happened in Syria).\u00a0 After finishing his studies and being baptized, he and some buddies (among them the future St Basil the Great \u2013 saints of a feather flock together) went off to the desert to learn the spiritual ropes under the tutelage of the holy monks.\u00a0 They learned the art of prayer, self-discipline, and penance before returning to civilization, where their holiness and talent were immediately recognized, and they were ordained to serve the Church. John was made a deacon in the ancient city of Antioch.\u00a0 There he began his preaching career, which soon became a primary agent of religious and political influence throughout the empire.\u00a0 His eloquence won the hearts of his listeners, and his exemplary virtue and concern for the poor solidified his victory.\u00a0 In a few years he was made archbishop of Constantinople, the most important See in the eastern empire, and the residence of the emperor.\u00a0 There he undertook a reform of the clergy through personal appeals and changes in ecclesiastical discipline, and a reform of the city through vehement preaching and numerous pastoral initiatives \u2013 all of which got him in trouble.\u00a0 Many of his fellow bishops envied his popularity with the people and the success of his apostolic labors, and numerous courtiers resented his reproaches of imperial pride and licentiousness.\u00a0 They conspired to have him exiled.\u00a0 Only a few days after his departure, however, the city was struck by mild earthquake.\u00a0 The superstitious empress had him quickly reinstated, fearing further reprisals from on high.\u00a0 But her clemency was short-lived.\u00a0 The holy archbishop soon fell out of her graces again, when he denounced a colossal silver statue of herself (and the immodest celebrations that accompanied its unveiling) that she erected outside the Cathedral.\u00a0 From his second exile he never returned.\u00a0 The aged prelate died of exhaustion and exposure brought on by his unending trek further and further into the harsh lands of his banishment. In a time when Christian morality needed a courageous spokesman, St John Chrysostom shouldered the task, defending Christ\u2019s Kingdom even by sacrificing his popularity and his very life.\u00a0 Does Christian morality need a courageous spokesperson on your campus?\u00a0 Perhaps God wants you to pick up the torch \u2013 or, rather, the pen. Prayerfully yours, Uncle Eddy Uncle Eddy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dear Crystal, If you spent as much time finding ways to spread Christ\u2019s truth as you do complaining about campus \u201cpolitical correctness\u201d you would already have eliminated the problem.\u00a0 Everything […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":359,"featured_media":145992,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[3719],"tags":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-142225","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncle-eddy"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"","pp_force_visibility":null,"pp_subpost_visibility":null,"pp_inherited_force_visibility":null,"pp_inherited_subpost_visibility":null,"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n