Perpend (David), who I started the podcast with, became an Orthodox monk and is now a Novice Monk at the Monastery of St. John in CA.

As he was travelling from monastery to monastery throughout America, he occasionally was back in Kansas (the last time in September 2023). He would greet me, and others, with a greeting that he likely learned in his travels: Instead of saying, "Hi, how are you?", he would say, "How goes the struggle?"

Instead of giving the usual response of "I am fine", you would think about it for a moment. This led to a more real and heartfelt conversation.

In Orthodox Christianity there is a prayer: "Help the Orthodox Christians to struggle".

Not "Help us get through the struggle". Not "Help us not to struggle".

If you are saying to yourself, "That's un-American!", then you have lost touch wi ...