This is an Orthodox priest being true to his profession: standing between a militarized police force and people seeking a redress for their grievances. He is preventing violence at great personal risk.

Over the past few centuries, people with religious vocations have been massively maligned. On one hand, there have been more than a few actual reasons for complaint, and it’s not unreasonable to hold someone to a high standard if they claim to stand in God’s stead. But on the other hand, such attacks have become automatic and even malicious.

Religious people have done great good in the world, and their actions are fully as legitimate as anyone else’s. To flatly ignore all those actions is unfair and unkind.

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So, before going back to the mundane, consider the good done by religious people, and especially all the kind and caring religious people whom the public stage expels and ignores. Their deeds matter as much as anyone else’s… whether we share their views or not.