Author of quotes: James Bernstein

For the Orthodox consciousness of heaven and hell are not determined by some material attributes. This is not a set of sensual pleasures or bodily pain. And no place in space (the heavens above and the underworld below), and the distance that the man moves away from God. And Paradise, and probably could be described as the light of God's presence, poured out everywhere. Uncreated light that emanated from Him even before the creation of the universe, fills all things and keeping them alive. and how each particular person perceives this fiery river, which meanders from the throne, is determined only by the state of mind in which she resides in the afterlife (see 1 Cor. 3: 11-15).

Remember how Adam and eve became ashamed, tried to hide from the Creator (see Genesis 3:18-10)? This attempt was irrational, because God is omnipresent and omniscient. In addition, God is love, and therefore should not have to fear and hide from Him, even if escape would be possible in principle. The same thing happens with a person who sins and never repents: God's love is beginning to cause him fear, and he fancies that God is raging and angry. But it isn't God turns into a cruel and impatient master, is not He, but we have changed and because transformered and our perception of God (Jn. 1:5, 9-11; 3:19-21; 1 In. 1:5-7). Remember that Jesus will never reject those who come to Him in repentance, seeking forgiveness, healing and authentic life.

For me it was a great comfort to know that the Orthodox do not believe that God ever deprived of his love to sinners. They deprive themselves of mercy, opposing Him. The nature of God remains unchanged. From the fact that we reject the love, He begins to love us less. But those who by choice refused life with God, will have to reap the consequences of this decision in eternity.

Heaven is born in our hearts in the present, earthly life, and we can see its reflections. So many of the saints who had to endure terrible suffering, never ceased to rejoice. They felt the warmth and serenity which comes from the Lord. Let's just say physically, they were in a bad place and in bad circumstances, but their spirits were correctly configured.
The reverse is also true. You can live in material comfort and wealth, to have power, glory and to experience longing, to be confused, lonely, angry and tormented by internal contradictions.

Heaven and hell are not spatial category is the category of relations. The goal of the Christian is not to go to heaven, as if arriving at some point, And to grow in God, to deepen communion with Him, to acquire the Holy spirit. So Paradise can begin in this life and continue on into eternity.
And the Church's mission is not to "send" people to Paradise or hell, the Church is a kind of a shelter, a hospital, helping sinners to recover and prepare for what awaits each of us, that is, to a personal meeting with God. And further resolved, depending on how the person will react to His presence.

Orthodox theology of the incarnation teaches that God himself, the second Person of the Trinity, became man. And He did it not in order to pay a debt to the devil or to God the Father, and not to become a substitutionary sacrifice, to satisfy the need of the Creator to justice. Christ came into the world to save us, to pull out of the abyss into which we have fallen, to transform and to give the opportunity to become godlike. God decided to rescue us from the poor state to get rid of the disease, depravity, mortality, decay and sin. For this He became man to share with us all the hardships, becoming part of His creation.

The high-tech industry, which lives in Silicon valley, or rapidly growing, or sharply in decline. In this area is always this: you're either thriving or instantly lose everything - there is no middle way.

Not every Orthodox is fully aware of the truth of Orthodoxy.

Orthodoxy is the right Church with the wrong people.

Paradoxically, the fact: in order to properly celebrate, we need to know, what is sacrifice, penance, fasting.

Scripture makes clear that a higher power glorify God in heaven with all the grandiose solemnity. This praise and worship cause the witness awe. Unfortunately, many modern Christians this feeling is not familiar: they perceive the Almighty as a "buddy", "guy" - only on a cosmic scale. Such familiarity is, I think, undermines the foundations of worship and deprives the worship due reverence. Yes, the Lord loves us, He's our friend - in the deepest sense of the word. And at the same time, this is the pre-eternal God, Creator, King and judge.



Explanation of the quote:

The author is a Jew who converted to Christianity and who came to Christianity via Protestantism.
Here he has in mind the shortcomings of Protestantism.