Theological implications of change

[David Dietrich]

Does man have the right to change anything?

If so, should man change anything?

Upon sinning, man has no right to live, and by extension he has no right to do or change anything. But God has allowed mankind to live so that mankind might return to God. To this end God sanctions any action, or change, that will further man's progress back to God.

But assuming man is willing to presume upon God's mercy, as we all do, how can he know what change will bring him closer to God, i.e. what changes are sanctioned by God. We know some things that do not, such as stealing, lying, murdering etc. We know some things that do, such as giving, teaching, healing etc. The real question comes into our moment by moment existence. Is this thread the correct change? When I mow the lawn, does the severing of the grass blades move me towards God? Each keystroke on my keyboard and each movement of my eye are changes in time and space to which I have no right and about the impact of which I have little or no knowledge.

Is it possible that each, every, and any action can be transformed into a deifying experience? If so, how? And even if we know how, can we presume to take actions simply hoping that later they may be transformed into deifying actions?

Perhaps legalistic, perhaps even immature, but interesting questions to my mind. If they interest you as well, please take a stab at them... if you dare ;)

[Olympiada]

Orthodoxy is a religion of change.

[Herman Blaydoe]

Gotta go with Olymiada, Orthodoxy is certainly about change, about metanoia. God does not change, His Revelation does not change, but how we understand and express that Revelation has and will continue to "evolve". Each generation must recapture that revelation for itself, each individual must apply it in a personal manner.

Of course the first change is in ourselves. As we grow closer to God the need for change becomes more evident. Then we work to reclaim Creation in His Name. As long as we strive to do His Will and not our own, then I think we do well. But God can work with us and through us sometimes whether we will or not. Nobody is so useless that they can't at least serve as a bad example...but it is much better not to be a bad example I suspect, especially if we profess to "know better".

Change happens until perfection is reached. If we do not change and are not yet perfect, then we are dead, we have less life than a marble statue which at least still "changes" with the ravages of time. The WHY of change is at least as important as the WHAT of change. Do we change ourselves to attain our goals, or do we change our goals to make them easier to attain? Are we changing to better express the unchanging Truth or are we changing the Truth to make it "easier" to accept? As long as we are striving to change ourselves for the better, and not to change God to make Him more "convenient", I think we do well.

Anyway, such are the ramblings of a bear of little brain. I leave the discussion to better minds than mine at this point.

Herman the Pooh

[David Dietrich]

So you both seem to say that change is necessary for our salvation, and is therefore ok as long as it is done with a good intent. In essence then, you are saying that intent justifies action.

I must disagree. To take an example, would it be right for me to kill myself as long as I fully intended it to be the best thing both for me and for the world? I would say no because the taking of life is evil regardless of intent. Intentions are often confused, are always malleable, and, in short, are totally untrustworthy has guides to behavior.

I do agree that we must change, but I have no clear vision as to how. How do we know how to change? We can be taught only the barest rudiments: don't steal, do give, don't kill, do love etc. These rudiments do not cover the other 99% of our daily metamorphosis. Each breath we take is a new change, how do we know if it is a correct change? Clearly the basic standard is whether or not it brings us closer to God, but that is ultimately no help because we cannot know if it brings us closer to God unless we know Who God Is, who we are, and what the progress that lies between us looks like.

It seems to me then that my questions remain unanswered: what change is good? How do we know what changes to take? etc.

[Mary]

So you both seem to say that change is necessary for our salvation, and is therefore ok as long as it is done with a good intent. In essence then, you are saying that intent justifies action.

Nope, that's not what they said.



I must disagree. To take an example, would it be right for me to kill myself as long as I fully intended it to be the best thing both for me and for the world? I would say no because the taking of life is evil regardless of intent. Intentions are often confused, are always malleable, and, in short, are totally untrustworthy has guides to behavior.

Is death change? Seems to me, that death is the end of something. You can't change something that is dead. You need to be alive, to change, and to make changes in the world. As to what's best for the world, how can anyone know that, unless they have created it? That's why you shouldn't mess with your life, or anyone else's, by ending it.



I do agree that we must change, but I have no clear vision as to how. How do we know how to change? We can be taught only the barest rudiments: don't steal, do give, don't kill, do love etc. These rudiments do not cover the other 99% of our daily metamorphosis. Each breath we take is a new change, how do we know if it is a correct change? Clearly the basic standard is whether or not it brings us closer to God, but that is ultimately no help because we cannot know if it brings us closer to God unless we know Who God Is, who we are, and what the progress that lies between us looks like.

It seems to me then that my questions remain unanswered: what change is good? How do we know what changes to take? etc.

That's why we have the Church. There are many who have gone before us, who have made changes in their own lives, and by looking at them, we can learn. We can also know Who God is, by looking at them, because they imitated Christ. And of course, don't forget to read your Bible and Pray. If you truly want to change, God will show you how.

But, having a clear vision of what kind of good changes to make, is no guarantee that you will do so. I know exactly what's required of me, but more often than not, I do not do what I should do, and end up doing exaclty what I know is bad for me.

In Christ,
Mary

[Nicolaj]

Dear Dave,

Change is not necessarily something bad. Change gives us opportunities and change provided by God, in his infinitive creative Love, is something very good.

And as an Orthodox Christian you must be aware that suicide is not leading to anything positive. But change can be real positive and when you don't know what change would be more profitable for your salvation you always can ask your spiritual father!

That is always better as committing suicide!

Christos voskrese, Nicolaj

[David Dietrich]

So we can look to the Church for guidance and advice on what changes are good or bad. This works when we are considering major changes, such as marriage, faith, etc. I agree with this completely.

What about the changes that we have no teaching for? Let me give you the example that inspired this question in my mind. I was standing in my gravel driveway looking at the tree line across the road. I suddenly got the idea to pick up a small stone and see how far I could throw it. Then this question hit me, in other words, would it be "right" to throw the stone? Then I went even further, was it "right" to move the stone from its original "God-given" position in the driveway in the first place?

The question spread to every facet of life. Each detail of our daily existence is now under the domain of my question: going out of the house, touching the doorknob, the very existence of the doorknob, the thought about touching the doorknob, the step that leads to the door, the door itself, the movement of muscles that made all this possible.

Will the next breath I take be good? There is not canon law for this, no saintly example, no biblical scripture, no pastoral advice, etc. for this.

[Herman Blaydoe]

So you both seem to say that change is necessary for our salvation, and is therefore ok as long as it is done with a good intent. In essence then, you are saying that intent justifies action.

Not to be obstreperous, but no, we have said no such thing.


I must disagree. To take an example, would it be right for me to kill myself as long as I fully intended it to be the best thing both for me and for the world? I would say no because the taking of life is evil regardless of intent. Intentions are often confused, are always malleable, and, in short, are totally untrustworthy has guides to behavior.

And I agree that we must disagree with your misinterpretation of what was actually said.


I do agree that we must change, but I have no clear vision as to how. How do we know how to change? We can be taught only the barest rudiments: don't steal, do give, don't kill, do love etc. These rudiments do not cover the other 99% of our daily metamorphosis. Each breath we take is a new change, how do we know if it is a correct change? Clearly the basic standard is whether or not it brings us closer to God, but that is ultimately no help because we cannot know if it brings us closer to God unless we know Who God Is, who we are, and what the progress that lies between us looks like.

Indeed. Just so. Here is another word you might want to research: nepsis.


It seems to me then that my questions remain unanswered: what change is good? How do we know what changes to take? etc.

Indeed. Here is one of my favorite stories about St. John the Dwarf:


It was said of Abba John the Dwarf, that one day he said to his elder brother, 'I should like to be free of all care, like the angels, who do not work, but ceaselessly offer worship to God.' So he took off his cloak and went away into the desert. After a week he came back to his brother. When he knocked on the door, he heard his brother say, before he opened it, 'Who are you?' He said, 'I am John, your brother.' But he replied, 'John has become an angel, and hence-forth he is no longer among men.' The other begged him saying, 'It is I.' However, his brother did not let him in, but left him there in distress until morning. Then, opening the door, he said to him, 'You are a man and you must once again work in order to eat.' Then John make a prostration before him saying, 'Forgive me.' from The Sayings of the Desert Fathers

If you want an iron-clad list of "do this and get guaranteed results", then become a Moslem. Unfortunately it simply isn't that easy, and even Islam does not offer satisfaction or your money back.

Indeed, every minute is a decision made to turn to God or away from Him. Sometimes we do things thinking it will bring us closer and we are wrong. Even the saints have been wrong at times (see above). But we LEARN OVER TIME those things which work for us and those things that don't, and it is something we don't stop learning until we reach perfection or die, whichever comes first. I think it is called discernment, and few of us are born with it, it is something we hopefully learn over time.

There are things that help us along the way however, signposts and directions, that are given to us by the Holy Church. Attend the services, take advantage of the sacraments, practice the asceticism, actively seek Christ and His Kingdom, and even though there may be a few missteps, He will guide sincere hearts to Him. At least that is my understanding, poor as it may be.

I leave the rest to better minds than mine and look forward to correction in those things I have misspoken.

Herman

[Herman Blaydoe]

Will the next breath I take be good? There is not canon law for this, no saintly example, no biblical scripture, no pastoral advice, etc. for this.

We are not robots, nor are we puppets. We do not expect God to move our arms and legs. We do things on our own. Once again, I think you need to look into the idea of synergia. If you cannot find any information on it I can provide some sources, but I would not want to deprive you of an opportunity to learn.

[James Blackstock]

Herman Blaydoe wrote:


Not to be obstreperous, but no, we have said no such thing. And I agree that we must disagree with your misinterpretation of what was actually said. Indeed. Just so. Here is another word you might want to research: nepsis.


Herman, just reading your posts always brings a smile to my face. I think you have overflown the cephalic region with this one! But most eloquently to be sure! :)

Seraphim

[Adrian Martin]

The question spread to every facet of life. Each detail of our daily existence is now under the domain of my question: going out of the house, touching the doorknob, the very existence of the doorknob, the thought about touching the doorknob, the step that leads to the door, the door itself, the movement of muscles that made all this possible.

I certainly respect your desire to make holy every action of your life. But asking such questions on a web forum really does not do you any good, because we (I, at least) are not necessarily saints or even experienced in the spiritual life. You need to consult your spiritual father to help answer your concerns.

[David Dietrich]

As I understand it, Mr. Blaydoe, synergia is the Orthodox view of the interaction between God's and man's will in which neither is in complete control but in which both respond to the other in a reciprocal and synergistic relationship.

Nepsis, again in my understanding, is the Orthodox practice of watchfulness widely practiced in the monastic traditions and particularly in hesychasm.

I do not expect there to be a book drawn up which we memorize, or "learn," and which contains the prescriptions for every movement of human life. Yet, as we are called to be perfect, I believe we should strive to make every action good. From the opposite perspective, every movement away from God, in the form of a wrong action, is an infinite insult to the Divinity. How can we pass this off as merely a learning process which we never expect to accomplish? How do we strive for perfection? Must I simply resign myself to complacency and mark off the innumerable mass of sins which I am committing at every moment to my learning process and say that it can't be helped?

[Antonios]

Dear David,

I think we must always remember that we are called to be perfect because we are not perfect. In fact, we are born far from it as it relates to knowledge of God. Part of the economia of the Incarnate Son of God is to enable us the Councilor, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, so that He may council us, comfort us, to bring us True Life through our abiding of Truth.

Focusing on the moment's tangible experiences of "going out of the house, touching the doorknob, the very existence of the doorknob, the thought about touching the doorknob, the step that leads to the door, the door itself, the movement of muscles that made all this possible" is a movement towards nepsis, but at a very rudimentary stage, one fraught with hazards. True, we should be awake and aware, and be ever vigilant in which doors we are opening and what led us there, but the movement should not be towards our sinews and muscles or the dark fallen recesses of our minds, but in the movement towards our neighbor and to our God through them.

By the reading of the Psalms, the Holy Scriptures, and above all the Gospels, the tree line across the road reveals the majesty of God. It is then up to us to decide how we should offer this gift back to our Maker and Father.

In Christ,
Antonios

[Rick H.]

Is it possible that each, every, and any action can be transformed into a deifying experience? If so, how? And even if we know how, can we presume to take actions simply hoping that later they may be transformed into deifying actions?

Perhaps legalistic, perhaps even immature, but interesting questions to my mind. If they interest you as well, please take a stab at them... if you dare ;)




I was holding out for the triple dog dare; but Antonios's conclusion is my conclusion in relation to the above:




By the reading of the Psalms, the Holy Scriptures, and above all the Gospels, the tree line across the road reveals the majesty of God. It is then up to us to decide how we should offer this gift back to our Maker and Father.

In Christ,
Antonios

In Christ,
Rick

[Nicolaj]

We can make big things about every action taken by us. But if we really live an orthodox life and have adopt the Fathers, the Gospel, etc, we find clear points also about doing useless things like throwing a stone to a tree. We know that useless speech is considered to be a sin, also useless actions are.

In Christ, Nicolaj

[David Dietrich]

Do you believe it is possible for us to become so will "educated" and "councelled" that each thought and motion are perfectly aligned with the will of God? This would require that our subconscious mind itself be radically transformed so as to automatically know and respond in the correct way to every situation whether it be a dinner party, the movement of the chest muscles in breathing, or the unpercieved brainwave that tells our heart to pump. Each and every one of these actions would require an instantaneous response as we are constantly, subconsciously making a stream of choices.

Also, I fail to understand this approach to nepsis which ignores our actions and focuses on other people. Is it not true that our choices and actions effect our salvation? Do they not transform our spirituality? Is not that motion towards the doorhandle, done without any conscious thought, transforming us as we do it by being either a movement towards or from God? Or are you saying that we should cease to be aware of actions entirely and only change according to the change of others so that nothing we do is inspired by our thought but by the thought of those around us?

Again, is it possible that through reading the tradition of the Church we can even educate our unconscious choices that occur and are made in the mere fraction of a second? These are choices that we cannot sit down and read about in a book, these are deep, organic, innate things that continually move us towards or from God, and every movement from God is an infinite sin.

[Herman Blaydoe]

Do you believe it is possible for us to become so will "educated" and "councelled" that each thought and motion are perfectly aligned with the will of God? This would require that our subconscious mind itself be radically transformed so as to automatically know and respond in the correct way to every situation whether it be a dinner party, the movement of the chest muscles in breathing, or the unpercieved brainwave that tells our heart to pump. Each and every one of these actions would require an instantaneous response as we are constantly, subconsciously making a stream of choices.

Yes, this is possible. The Orthodox even have a word for it: theosis


Also, I fail to understand this approach to nepsis which ignores our actions and focuses on other people. Is it not true that our choices and actions effect our salvation?

I must have missed something, because I don't see where anyone has said that "nepsis" focusses on other people, so I simply don't see your point.


Again, is it possible that through reading the tradition of the Church we can even educate our unconscious choices that occur and are made in the mere fraction of a second? These are choices that we cannot sit down and read about in a book, these are deep, organic, innate things that continually move us towards or from God, and every movement from God is an infinite sin.

You might enjoy the writings of Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos. There is some information on him here: Hierotheos (Vlachos) of Nafpaktos (http://orthodoxwiki.org/Hierotheos_(Vlachos)_of_Nafpaktos). I particularly recommend his Orthodox Psychotherapy or A Night in the Desert of the Holy Mountain

[Adrian Martin]

Also, I fail to understand this approach to nepsis which ignores our actions and focuses on other people. Is it not true that our choices and actions effect our salvation? Do they not transform our spirituality? Is not that motion towards the doorhandle, done without any conscious thought, transforming us as we do it by being either a movement towards or from God? Or are you saying that we should cease to be aware of actions entirely and only change according to the change of others so that nothing we do is inspired by our thought but by the thought of those around us?

I'll interject my own opinion here: if you think too much about this sort of thing, you will go nuts. I guess if you follow all the commandments, live a rich prayer life, have a spiritual father who knows your thoughts, and thus have progressed far enough in that direction, you can try to go that direction with the help of your spiritual father. But as for me, I'm too worried about my many sins to think about doorknobs.

A good question to ask yourself (I ask it all the time) is, do I love God? If we're in love with someone, everything we do naturally, without our forcing it, gravitates towards that person.

[Andreas Moran]

But as for me, I'm too worried about my many sins to think about doorknobs.

Me, too! Such contemplation of the minutiae of existence seems to me too introverted to be healthy.

[David Dietrich]

"True, we should be awake and aware, and be ever vigilant in which doors we are opening and what led us there, but the movement should not be towards our sinews and muscles or the dark fallen recesses of our minds, but in the movement towards our neighbor and to our God through them." (Antonios)
I don't understand what you mean by not focusing on our physical and mental movements, but rather on our neighbor and God.

First, I must again point out the importance of our subconscious, or conscious but "thoughtless" actions. Their importance comes from the concept of sin not as a series of gradations from "really bad" to "ok." Instead, in this view "sin" is anything that is a movement from God. If we look at sin this way, then any movement from God is an infinite insult and insanity. If sin is not finitely quantifiable, then even the smallest minutia become infinitely important. Anything from the building of a tower to the blinking of an eyelash can either move us to or from God.

I am interested in this idea of theosis as a state of perfect mastery of conscious and unconscious choice. It is obvious that this state is impossible to attain without grace, yet how can we attain grace without having control over our choices? This seems a hopeless cycle in which we need grace to attain grace since without grace we have no power to achieve it.

I'm afraid I must expand my scope of interest beyond the infinitesimal changes that effect us and consider the changes that effect others in the world. Take, again, the example of the stone. Let us assume that throwing the stone was a good thing for me to do, but what about its effect on the world? Was it not wrong to strike the earth with that rock? Was it not wrong to wrench it from the earth in the first place? What are the effects of that rock on the cosmos? Each change I make has a rippling effect on the cosmos whose moral implications I can have absolutely no idea of. Thus, even if I can manage to ensure that all my actions are good for me, how can I ever possibly ensure that non of my actions will create evil effects on the cosmos?

[Antonios]

"True, we should be awake and aware, and be ever vigilant in which doors we are opening and what led us there, but the movement should not be towards our sinews and muscles or the dark fallen recesses of our minds, but in the movement towards our neighbor and to our God through them." (Antonios)
I don't understand what you mean by not focusing on our physical and mental movements, but rather on our neighbor and God.

First, I must again point out the importance of our subconscious, or conscious but "thoughtless" actions. Their importance comes from the concept of sin not as a series of gradations from "really bad" to "ok." Instead, in this view "sin" is anything that is a movement from God. If we look at sin this way, then any movement from God is an infinite insult and insanity. If sin is not finitely quantifiable, then even the smallest minutia become infinitely important. Anything from the building of a tower to the blinking of an eyelash can either move us to or from God.

I am interested in this idea of theosis as a state of perfect mastery of conscious and unconscious choice. It is obvious that this state is impossible to attain without grace, yet how can we attain grace without having control over our choices? This seems a hopeless cycle in which we need grace to attain grace since without grace we have no power to achieve it.

I'm afraid I must expand my scope of interest beyond the infinitesimal changes that effect us and consider the changes that effect others in the world. Take, again, the example of the stone. Let us assume that throwing the stone was a good thing for me to do, but what about its effect on the world? Was it not wrong to strike the earth with that rock? Was it not wrong to wrench it from the earth in the first place? What are the effects of that rock on the cosmos? Each change I make has a rippling effect on the cosmos whose moral implications I can have absolutely no idea of. Thus, even if I can manage to ensure that all my actions are good for me, how can I ever possibly ensure that non of my actions will create evil effects on the cosmos?

Dear David,

It is true that without grace, there can be no grace!

What I mean in saying that our movements must be towards our neighbor and to God through them is simply a re-statement of what the Lord states in the Gospels. We need to live our life in a trinitarian way and imitate the love of the Holy Trinity in relation with our neighbor. Our salvation leans on how we love our neighbor.

The idea of infinite sins against God is enough to make one despair, if not for the infinite mercy of God who wishes all to be saved.

The primary activity one should progress to under the guidance of a spiritual father is guarding of the heart, which leads to purest prayer. I again refer you to the Philokalia, and particularly St. Simeon the New Theologian's work on the three methods of prayer and attention.

In the last paragraph, you write:

Each change I make has a rippling effect on the cosmos whose moral implications I can have absolutely no idea of. Thus, even if I can manage to ensure that all my actions are good for me, how can I ever possibly ensure that non of my actions will create evil effects on the cosmosI will quote from the above mentioned work by St. Simeon:


"But you, beloved, if you want to be saved, begin to work thus: having established perfect obedience in your heart, which, as we have said, you must have towards your spiritual father, act in everything else with a pure conscience, as though in the presence of God: for it is impossible to have a clear conscience without obedience. You must keep your conscience clear in three respects: in relation to God, in relation to your spiritual father and in relation to other men, as well as to things and objects of the world (of life)

In relation to God it is your duty to keep your conscience clear, permitting yourself no action which, to your knowledge, is distasteful and unpleasing to God.
In relation to your spiritual father do only what he tells you, allowing yourself to do nothing either more or less, and proceed guided solely by his will and intention.
In relation to other people, you will keep your conscience clear if you refrain from doing to them anything you yourself hate or dislike being done to you.
In relation to things, your duty is to keep your conscience clear by always using them rightly- I mean food, drink, and clothes.
In brief, do everything as though in the presence of God and so, in whatever you do, you need never allow your conscience to wound and denounce you, for not having done your work well.
Proceeding in this way you will smooth for yourself a true and straight path to the third method of attention and prayer which is the following: the mind should be in the heart- a distinctive feature of the third method of prayer."
In Christ,
Antonios

[Adrian Martin]

I'm afraid I must expand my scope of interest beyond the infinitesimal changes that effect us and consider the changes that effect others in the world. Take, again, the example of the stone. Let us assume that throwing the stone was a good thing for me to do, but what about its effect on the world? Was it not wrong to strike the earth with that rock? Was it not wrong to wrench it from the earth in the first place? What are the effects of that rock on the cosmos? Each change I make has a rippling effect on the cosmos whose moral implications I can have absolutely no idea of. Thus, even if I can manage to ensure that all my actions are good for me, how can I ever possibly ensure that non of my actions will create evil effects on the cosmos?

More importantly, think of how you use your time, the most precious resource of all. Are you glorifying God by spending your time on this web forum instead of praying or reading the fathers or the lives of the saints? The most important actions you must consider are not the ones in the past or the future, but the ones you are doing right now. Now excuse me while I take my own advice...

[Antonios]

More importantly, think of how you use your time, the most precious resource of all. Are you glorifying God by spending your time on this web forum instead of praying or reading the fathers or the lives of the saints? The most important actions you must consider are not the ones in the past or the future, but the ones you are doing right now. Now excuse me while I take my own advice...

Dear Adrian,

Good advice. I'll heed it as well. Thank you.

In Christ,
Antonios.

[Nicolaj]

More importantly, think of how you use your time, the most precious resource of all. Are you glorifying God by spending your time on this web forum instead of praying or reading the fathers or the lives of the saints? The most important actions you must consider are not the ones in the past or the future, but the ones you are doing right now. Now excuse me while I take my own advice...

Well said! I take my feet and follow your advice!

Christos voskrese! Nicolaj

[David Dietrich]

It looks like Antonios is the only steady-goer left. ;)

Are you saying then that we should not concentrate on our good or bad actions but on our purity of heart and our treatment of others?

[Adrian Martin]

Are you saying then that we should not concentrate on our good or bad actions but on our purity of heart and our treatment of others?

Love comes first, then our particular actions. If we worry about our particular actions without reference to God and our neighbor, then it's just a kind of distraction in itself. As St Augustine wrote, "Love and do what you will." As long as we're not betraying that love by sinning against God or our neighbor, there's no need to worry. God bless you!

[David Dietrich]

Well, I see that the question interests no one but myself so I'll drop it and meditate on my own.

[Robert Hegwood]

I think you have received some good insights here. That said, I do not think you can know of yourself the full cosmic impact of even your slightest actions. That is not given to us since we are not God.

Going back to your stone throwing situation. You asked if it was wrong to pick up and throw a rock from your driveway where God had laid it. But who made the driveway? Who uses it and keeps the gravel churning? Who dug up and transported the gravel? Maybe by throwing the rock you are setting it free back to the wild. Maybe you are creating a lawn mower hazard for the family that will build a house in the place you threw it 20 years hence. Maybe that hazard kills a wonderful child the light and joy of his parents life. Maybe that child would grow and turn bad, hurt many people then die in his sins. Then again, maybe you throw the rock, it lands in the grass and it slowly gets covered by soil and never moves again until the end of time. Did God put it there? Did you?

I'm sure you realize that trying to figure out the moral weight of every action is a futile enterprise. It cannot be done by raw intellection. So what are you to do if you don't want to unwittingly pile up tons of little sins like creating future lawn hazards? Remember the Scriptures says that the heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord. Or also where it says, in all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths. The closer your walk to God is, the more nearly and fully your passage through this world is sacramentalized and thus your long term impact upon it.

For example the blessed Elder Porphyrios when still living on the Holy Mountain in his youth recalled at times learning from a rock which holy monastics in years past had rested there. Now doubtless way back then those occasional holy monks in need of a rest did not calculate their action...should I sit down in this second or that second on this rock or that rock. Rather at most they probably just lifted their heart to God and asked the Lord to bless them to pause and rest a moment. They then saw a likely looking rock and sat down without the slightest thought that 400 years hence a devout young monk would be edified by learning from that rock who had rested on it.

We are priests of the universe. In God our presence in the world is sacramental and our passage through the world and our use of it sacramentalizes it allowing the rest of creation to serve God through us and to meet God in us. Consider that gold drawn from rock and dirt passes through many hands using many other fashioned tools is at last shaped into a chalice and put to use in the Holy Altar to receive the Holy Gifts and to be served from once those gifts are consecrated as the Body and Blood of Christ. That little bit of gold touches grace because we in our use of it draw near to God. Consider that one night you might gaze upon the stars and be filled with awe and wonder at their beauty and your heart rises to God in thankfulness. Thus the stars return their praise to God through you.

These things being true then it is wise to conduct ourselves mindfully, neptically so that do not inadvertently misuse this world or the gifts God has given us...a front we all fail on to greater or lesser degree. Consider a couple of examples from the life of St. Silouan. Once at prayer he was being bothered by a fly and swatted at it with a cloth. It didn't kill the fly but only crippled it. For the next 3 days St. Silouan watched the little creature crawl around his cell, and the sight of it filled his heart with grief at his own coldness and brutality to one of the least of God's creatures. On another occasion the youthful blessed Elder Sophrony was with him as they were walking down a somewhat overgrown path and the young monk Sophrony beat back some of the brush but could tell his Master did not approve. On another occasion he randomly plucked a leaf and sensed the same disapproval from St. Silouan and asked him if plucking the leave was a sin. St. Silouan said "No, but it was a pity for the leaf." This I think is one of the reasons monks ask blessings to do their tasks and to pursue their prayers. This makes the arc of their life one of obedience, by a broad stroke it submits all that minutia to God's care...each breath, each thought, each action. Thus they do not lose themselves in the moral ordering of the future rather they sacramentalize their place and passage in the world in the present.

If your movement through the world is in love then as St. Augustine said, do what you will. Trust God in those things for He holds your heart and directs your path even in all the unseen minutia and their implications.

So with regard to change we are free to change for the better. We are free to use the world and its goods to the Glory of God either directly or indirectly. We are also free to not have to worry about tomorrow's evil so that we can deal sacramentally with that we must face this day. Who knows 500 years hence a holy monk may bend down and pick up a pebble from the earth and learn that once a holy man cast this very stone out of his sight into the wood so that he may always be reminded how he must commit all his way to God, the seen and the unseen, the known and the unknowable so that all by God's grace may serve Him....and thus across an arc of 50 yards and 500 years a little rock returns its praise to God.

[David Dietrich]

You certainly wield a gifted keyboard. Although what you say is excellent and understandable, I must make sure I have grasped it correctly. The way to deal with these minutia of existence is to ensure that all our existence is motivated correctly. In other words, that no one of our actions is done from out own, untrustworthy motivation, but that all are done in accordance with Love, God's will. So living perfectly is not so much a state of continual "monitoring" as it is an entirely new state of existence entirely, a life in which each breath, each motion is not done by us, but by God. If this is the case, the the real lesson to be learned here is a deeper realization of our sinful state.