Years ago, while serving on the staff of the
National Council of Churches in New Delhi, I made friends witth the director
of a research institute on Sikhism. Once I invited him to a public lecture
in Delhi by Metropolitan Paulos Mar Gregorios on Science and Faith. My Punjabi
Sikh friend had till then absolutely no idea of "Orthodox Churches" or bishops.
During the meeting he heard several references to Mar Gregorios as the Indian
Orthodox Bishop of Delhi. As usual, the bishop, with his versatile mind, gave
a brilliant lecture on the topic. My friend, the intellectual, was deeply
impressed. He had no words for the appreciation he felt for the "orthodox"
bishop. Nevertheless he looked puzzled. As we were leaving the conference
hall, he quietly confided the puzzle to me; "But, Fr.George, why do they call
him ‘orthodox’? He is so progressive"!
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