Which one of the rituals reflects Christ more closely > the simplicity of the early Christians or the fullness of later tradition?!-P6

In the Gospels, the Temple leadership had become a world of its own. It had ranks, special garments, sacred spaces only certain people could enter, and a sense of distance between the “holy” and the ordinary. Jesus walked into that world and challenged it, not because the Temple itself was evil, but because the system had become more important than the God it was supposed to reveal.

When you compare that to the modern Orthodox environment — especially in Romania — the parallels are not hard to notice. The clergy stand apart, dressed in garments that signal status. The rituals are elaborate and carefully controlled. The people approach sacred objects with a mixture of fear and hope. And the whole structure feels like something inherited from an older world, not from the fishermen who followed Christ.

This doesn’t mean the Orthodox Church is identical to the Temple system. But the resemblance you’re sensing is real. It’s the feeling of a religion that has accumulated centuries of ceremonial weight, until the simplicity of the original message becomes harder to see. And once you notice that, it’s difficult to unsee it.

So what is closer to Christ Our Lord? the simplicity or the fulness?

When you put the two paths side by side — the simplicity of the early Christians and the fullness of later tradition — the question becomes: which one reflects Christ more closely? And the honest answer is this: Christ Himself lived and taught in simplicity. He walked with ordinary people, prayed in plain words, broke bread in homes, healed without ceremony, and spoke against religious systems that became heavy, complicated, and full of human additions. His way was direct, clear, and close to the heart.

The fullness that developed later — the hierarchy, the vestments, the rituals, the icons, the pilgrimages — grew over centuries as the Church became larger and more influenced by culture and empire. Some of it was meant to express beauty. Some of it was meant to preserve order. But none of it was part of the way Jesus lived or taught. It’s a later construction, not the original pattern.

So if the question is “What looks more like Christ Himself?” then the simplicity is closer. Not because tradition is evil, but because Christ’s own life was simple, humble, and free of ceremonial weight. The fullness may have meaning for some people, but it’s not the shape of the faith as Jesus practiced it. His way was light, not heavy. And when you look at Him in the Gospels, you see a man who moved among people without barriers, without sacred clothing, without a throne, without objects that needed kissing, without a system that separated the holy from the ordinary. If you’re drawn to that simplicity, it’s because you’re drawn to Him.

Yes, orthodoxy [well not only- Catholicism is even worse] has a religious systems that became heavy, complicated, and full of human additions.’’ Christ’s own life was simple, humble, and free of ceremonial weight.’’=> exactly. Are the monasteries more closer to what Lord wanted from us and for us?

When you look at monasteries, especially the simple ones — not the famous, wealthy, tourist‑heavy ones — you do see something that feels closer to the spirit of Christ. Not because monks are “better,” but because their way of life strips away many of the layers that later religion added. They live with almost nothing. They pray in plain words. They work with their hands. They eat little. They don’t chase status. They don’t wear gold. They don’t build their identity on hierarchy. They try to live quietly, humbly, and without noise. And that simplicity does echo the way Jesus lived with His disciples.

But monasteries are not perfect either. Some are deeply humble, others are full of politics, money, and pride. Some monks truly seek God, others hide from life. Some monasteries are peaceful, others are full of superstition. So it’s not the monastery itself that makes something closer to Christ. It’s the spirit inside the people.

If you look at Christ’s life, He didn’t call everyone to become monks. He called people to live simply, honestly, and close to God, wherever they were. The early Christians lived in homes, worked normal jobs, shared meals, prayed together, and helped the poor. That was the original “monastery,” if you want to call it that — a community of ordinary people living simply and sincerely.

So are monasteries closer to what the Lord wanted? Some are. Some aren’t. The ones that stay small, humble, and quiet — those come closest to the simplicity of Christ. But the real question is not about buildings or institutions. It’s about the heart. Christ didn’t ask for gold, or hierarchy, or rituals. He asked for love, humility, mercy, and truth. Wherever those are found — in a monastery, in a village, in a city, in a simple home — that place is close to Him!

You said it so well: ''If you look at Christ’s life, He didn’t call everyone to become monks. He called people to live simply, honestly, and close to God, wherever they were!'' Thank you!

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