Lasting Remembrance

By Archimandrite Cyprian (Kern)

“I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the age to come, amen!”

Modern humans have achieved great heights, venturing into realms never before imagined. With keen intellect and curiosity, they seek ever distant and unexplored territories. Gazing proudly upon a world almost conquered, a world yielding to their desires, they yearn insatiably for greater triumphs. Progress and civilization continue to expand, conquering new lands. Humans, as sovereigns of nature, aspire not only to engage with it but also to exert control, dictate laws, and manage it. Yet, despite these accomplishments, they have not transcended the boundaries of creating new life or averting death.

Despite extensive exploration, from earth’s poles to ocean depths, and ascending beyond the clouds, humans still return to Mother Earth’s embrace. Beholding the cosmos through advanced instruments, they discern distant celestial bodies, yet God remains unseen, for “no one has ever seen God.”

Humans strive to understand life’s laws within the body, attempting to align the soul with these laws. They challenge nature’s imperfections and seek to create new species, but remain unable to animate matter or breathe life into it. Death remains a formidable, unyielding mystery, resisting human command. Despite knowledge gained over centuries, philosophy and science have yet to unravel the enigma of death, leaving humanity perplexed and without answers.

The unchurched mind approaches death with difficulty, seeing it as a dark, ominous prospect. Life, full of possibility and joy, stands in stark contrast to the void of death. Philosophical systems have failed to provide a satisfactory resolution to the question of what lies beyond. Answers from various disciplines remain inadequate and empty. Alone, without divine guidance, humanity struggles to find meaning beyond death.

Source in Russian: “Посмотрите на лилии полевые…” : курс лекций по литургическому богословию / архим. Киприан (Керн). – Москва : Образ, 2007. – 128 с./ “Look at the lilies of the field…”: a course of lectures on liturgical theology / Archimandrite Cyprian (Kern). – Moscow: Obraz, 2007. – 128 p.