St. Nikolai Velimirovich on the World Economic Crisis
(this is from a 1929 letter to a priest)
You are asking me, man of God, about the reason and meaning of the present crisis. Who am I that you ask me about this great mystery? “Speak if you have something greater than silence,” said St. Gregory the Theologian. And although I find that presently silence is higher than any word, I will, out of love for you, write what I think about this question.
“Crisis” is a Greek word, and in translation it means “judgment”. In the Holy Scripture the word “judgment” is used many times. We read in the Psalms, “Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment” (Ps. 1:5). Later again, “I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing“. (Ps. 101:1). The wise king Solomon writes that the judgment will come to everyone from the Lord (Proverbs 29:26). The Savior himself said, “For the Father judges no man, but has committed all judgment unto the Son.” (John 5:22). The Apostle Peter writes, “For the time is come that judgment must begin in the house of God” (1 Pet. 4:17).
Replace the word “judgment” with the word “crisis” and read, “I will sing of mercy and crisis”, “Crisis will come to everyone from the Lord”, “The Father committed all crisis unto the Son”, “For the time is come that crisis must begin in the house of God”.
Previously the Europeans, when some trouble befell them, used the word “judgment” instead of the word “crisis”. These days the word “judgment” is replaced with the word “crisis”, a clear word with one less clear. A drought would come and people would say – “God’s judgment!” Flood – “God’s judgment!” A war or epidemic would start – “God’s judgment!” Earthquakes, locust, other trials, always the same – “God’s judgment!” Therefore, crisis is because of the drought, because of the flood, of the wars and epidemics. And people see the present financial, economic catastrophe as God’s judgment, but they call it “crisis” rather than “judgment”. So that the trouble would increase from lack of reason! Because when the clear word “judgment” was said, the reason that led to the trouble was clear, and the Judge who allowed the trouble was known, and so was the purpose for which the trouble was allowed. But after replacing the word “judgment” with the word “crisis”, which is unclear for the most, no one can explain why it is, from whom, and for what. And this is the only thing in which this crisis differs from the crisis that happens from drought and flood, war or epidemic, locust or other tribulation.
You are asking about the reason of today’s crisis, or God’s judgment? The reason is always the same. The reason for all droughts, floods, epidemics and other troubles is the same as of today’s crisis – the falling away from God. The sin of falling away from God has resulted in this crisis as well, and the Lord allowed it so as to wake people, sober them, so that they would repent and come back to him. The crisis is commensurate to sins. And truly, the Lord used modern means to teach modern people: he struck the banks, the stock exchanges, the entire financial system. He overturned the tables of money-lenders just as he once did in the temple in Jerusalem. He created an unprecedented panic between merchants and money-lenders. Stirred up, brought down, mixed up, confused, bestowed fear. And all that so that proud European and American wise men would wake up, repent, remember God. So that they who are anchored in the haven of material comfort would remember their souls, acknowledge their trespassings, and bow down before God the Highest, the living God.
How long will the crisis last? Until the proud culprits acknowledge the victory of the All-Powerful. Until the people would realize that they have to translate the unclear word “crisis” into their native language and would exclaim with the repentant sigh, “God’s judgment!”
Therefore you, honest Father, should also call “crisis” “God’s judgment”, and you will understand everything.
Greetings to you and the Lord’s peace!
Source: John Sanidopoulos – The Economic “Crisis” : An Orthodox Perspective
Sveti Nikolaj Velimirović o svjetskoj ekonomskoj krizi
(iz pisma svešteniku 1929. godine)
Vi pitate mene, Božijeg čovjeka, o razlozima i značenju sadašnje krize. Ko sam ja da me pitate o ovoj velikoj tajni? „Govorite ako imate nešto veće od ćutanja,“ rekao je Sveti Grigorije Bogoslov. I mada smatram da je trenutno ćutanje veće od bilo koje riječi, ja ću, iz ljubavi prema Vama, napisati šta mislim o ovom pitanju.
„Kriza“ je grčka riječ i u prevodu znači „sud“. U Svetom Pismu riječ sud je korištena više puta. U Psalmima čitamo: „Zato se neće bezbožnici održati na sudu“ (Ps. 1,5). Kasnije opet, „Milost i pravdu pjevam; Tebe, Gospode, slavim“ (Ps. 101,1). Mudri car Solomon piše da će sud doći svima od Gospoda (Prič 29,26). Sam Spasitelj kaže: „Jer Otac ne sudi nikome, nego je sav sud dao Sinu“ (Jn 5,22). Apostol Petar piše: „Jer je vrijeme da se počne sud od kuće Božije“ (1 Pet. 4,17).
Zamijenite riječ sud sa riječi kriza i čitajte: „Pjevaću o milosti i krizi“, „Kriza će doći svima od Boga“, „Otac je usmjerio sve krize prema Sinu“, „U vrijeme koje dolazi kriza mora početi iz doma Božijeg“.
Ranije su Evropljani, kada bi ih zadesila neka nevolja, koristili riječ sud umjesto riječi kriza. Ovih dana riječ sud zamijenjena je sa riječi kriza, jasna riječ zamijenjena je manje jasnom riječi. Došla bi suša i ljudi bi rekli – „Božiji sud!“, poplava – „Božiji sud!“ Kada bi počeo rat ili epidemija – „Božiji sud!“ Zemljotresi, najezda skakavaca, druge nepogode, uvijek isto – „Božiji sud!“ Dakle, kriza je usljed suše, usljed poplave, ratova i epidemija. I ljudi su vidjeli trenutne finansijske, ekonomske katastrofe kao Božiji sud, ali su ih radije nazivali krizom umjesto Božijim sudom. Tako bi se nevolja uvećala zbog nedostatka razloga! Jer kada bi se izrekla jasna riječ sud, razlog koji je vodio do nevolje bio je jasan, i Sudija koji je dozvolio nevolju bio je poznat, i bio je poznat razlog zbog koga je nevolja dozvoljena. Međutim, zamjenom riječi sud sa riječi kriza, koja je za većinu nejasna, niko ne može objasniti zašto je tako, od koga je i za šta služi. I to je jedina stvar po kojoj se ova kriza razlikuje od krize koja se dešava usljed suše i poplave, rata ili epidemije, najezde skakavaca i drugih nepogoda.
Pitali ste o razlogu današnje krize, ili Božijeg suda? Razlog je uvijek isti. Razlog svih suša, poplava, epidemija i drugih nevolja je isti kao i razlog današnje krize – udaljavanje od Boga. Grijeh udaljavanja od Boga je rezultat i ove krize, a Bog ga je dozvolio kako bi se ljudi probudili, otrijeznili, kako bi se pokajali i vratili Njemu. Kriza je proporcionalna grijehu. I zaista, Gospod se koristi modernim sredstvima da nauči moderne ljude: udario je po bankama, berzama i cijelom finansijskom sistemu. Zbacio je vlasnike novca – zajmodavce, kao što je to već jednom učinio u hramu u Jerusalimu. Stvorio je neviđenu paniku među trgovcima i zajmodavcima. Zakuvan, donešen, izmiješan, zbunjen, dodijeljen strah. I sve to da bi se ponosni evropski i američki mudri ljudi probudili, pokajali, sjetili se Boga. Tako da bi oni koji su usidreni u raju materijalne udobnosti sjetili se svojih duša, priznali njihovu prolaznost i poklonili se pred Bogom Najvišim, Bogom Živim.
Koliko će trajati kriza? Dok ponosni krivci ne priznaju pobjedu Svemoćnom. Dok ljudi ne shvate da moraju prevesti nejasnu riječ kriza u njihov maternji jezik i da uzviknu pokajničkim uzdahom „Božiji sud!“
Stoga Vi, iskreni oče, takođe trebate nazivati krizu „Božijim sudom“, i onda ćete sve razumjeti.
Pozdrav i mir Vam Božiji!
Prijevod s engleskog: mr Dragana Pećanac
19. 11. 2010.
St. Nikolai of Serbia Orthodox Church in Santiago, Chile 