O strahu Božijem

Abstract

Uveren da je razlog sve veće rasprostranjenosti straha u savremenom svetu nedostatak jednog specifičnog straha – straha Božijeg, autor pristupa razmatranju ovog religijskog fenomena. Za razliku od profanog straha, koji u nama izaziva negativne emocije, strahopoštovanje je suštinsko obeležje ovog svetog straha. Pojam straha Božijeg pokriva široku lepezu osećanja, od straha pred Bogom kao pravednim sudijom do ljubavlju ispunjene strepnje da svojom nepažnjom ne uvredimo Boga. Nakon poređenja Sokratove izreke „Znam da ništa ne znam“ i starozavetne izreke „Početak mudrosti je strah Gospodnji“, autor ističe da je čista ljubav prema Bogu svakako najplemenitiji religijski motiv, ali da ne smemo gajiti iluziju da smo na samom početku duhovnog razvoja sposobni za takvu nesebičnu ljubav. Oslanjajući se na svetootačku metaforu o tri moguća načina čovekovog odnosa prema Bogu, kao roba, najamnika i sina, kao i na razlikovanje uvodnog i savrešenog straha Božijeg, autor smatra da je i u naše vreme moguće da se čovek postepeno uzdigne od početnog do savršenog straha Božijeg, koji je identičan sa ljubavlju. Iako je strah Gospodnji dar Božiji, čovek ga svojim moralno-podvižničkim načinom života u neku ruku mora zaslužiti.

Confident that the reason behind an increasing expansion of fear in modern world is lack of a specific fear – fear of God, the author commences consideration of this religious phenomenon. Unlike profane fear, that induces negative emotions within a person, awe is an essential trait of this holy fear. Notion of the fear of God includes a wide spectrum of emotions, from fear before God as the righteous judge to trepidation filled with love that one does not insult God in disregard. After comparison between Socrates saying „I know that I know nothing“ and Old Testament „The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom“, the author emphasizes that pure love for God is certainly the most noble religious motive. However, we should not foster an illusion that we are capable of such love in the very beginning of our spiritual development. Relying on holy fathers’ metaphor about three possible manners of a man’s relationship with God, those of a slave, servant and son, as well as on difference between the elementary and the perfect fear of God, the author considers that in our time, too, it is possible for a man to gradually rise from the initial to the perfect fear of God, which is identical with love. Although fear of God is a gift from God, one needs to earn it in a certain way, by one’s moral and ascetic life.