In this era of technology people have been becoming more alienated. Thanks to modern communication, distances are no longer an obstacle, however, more and more people sink into loneliness. No longer have people known their neighbors, and meetings with friends and family have been replaced by endless conversations on the mobile phone or the Internet. In the race for material possessions people have been seeking for comfort and economic stability and spiritual values ​​seem to be left in the background. According to priest Dobromir Dimitrov, from the St. Mina the Martyr church in Veliko Tarnovo, these dynamic processes have been questioning our trust in institutions and changing behavior patterns.

“The family is in crisis. Promiscuous life and formal attitude to others make man tired and create spiritual hunger. This feeling drives man towards seeking for the eternal truths. In critical situations, when faced with the inevitable, one often thinks about God and His help. Many people admit that they seek God's support when something bad happens. I think this is something positive. If we seek God we build a tie with Him. Many of us nourish some abstract concept of God as some form of energy. Christianity, however, shows that God is a personality that took a human form. He chose to become one of us, to live among us, to rise for us. He chose to communicate with us in person, not through some magical acts. So I think that it is important for one to seek communion with God.”

The Christian Church is viewed as a community of those summoned by God. The Church is a family and we go to the temple regularly, we see familiar faces and friends. Religious sentiments are present in every person but going to the church from time to time and lighting a candle can be a superficial experience of faith.

“The important thing is to join the life of the community,” priest Dobromir says. “People who come spontaneously from time to time to the temple should see the love in the church community and try to become part of it. Parishes are stronger when people know each other. The Church should not be considered a shop for religious services or an institution with a strict hierarchy. It is primarily a living organism and we should make sure that people who come here find meaning to stay. Priests should make people’s lives easier. There is an inscription on the icon of Christ on the iconostasis reading: ‘Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will comfort you’. We come to the temple to take a break from our nervous breakdowns. Everyone who takes a look inside their soul sees the guilt which human relationships inevitably cause. All this hopelessness that has gripped the Bulgarians is due to the lack of faith. Nihilism has become a public neurosis."

According to Dobromir Dimitrov faith cannot be ideology.

"You just have to trust God. One must have faith. We wake up in morning with the belief that today will better day for our children. When we go to the doctor, we believe he or she will help us. We believe that beyond any hopelessness there is faith. In the Church we believe that we are free from death and that we will be back with those we love. We believe that Christ is constantly with us. This is the true faith and when you have it, all the worries disappear and you are filled with hope and strength. God wants us to be happy and live well. Loving God and our neighbor really changes our life,” the Orthodox priest says in conclusion.

English version: Alexander Markov