![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/399\/blogger\/_iTncioBQZNk\/SdIfzGvOhVI\/AAAAAAAACnM\/rujgZ3J6uk4\/s1600-h\/sclock.gif\")
<\/a> As I was walking down the street one dayA man came up to me and asked me what the time was that was
on my watch, yeah
And I said
Does anybody really know what time it is
I don\u2019t
Does anybody really care
care
If so I can\u2019t imagine why
about time
We\u2019ve all got time enough to cry
Oh no, no<\/em><\/p>\n
Y<\/span>ou\u2019ll show your age, of course, if you recognize those classic lyrics by the 70\u2019s rock back Chicago \u2013 back when bands actually had a horn section.<\/p>\n Or, remember typewriters?<\/p>\n \u201cNow is the time for all good men to come to the aide of their country.\u201d<\/p>\n Or \u2014 remember when there were only 3 TV channels (not counting PBS) and the nightly news always had that clackedy-clack sound of the busy typewriters in the background?<\/p>\n Okay, so I\u2019m showing my age. But it\u2019s never too late to be a fool.<\/p>\n So, how \u2019bout this: \u201cHappy New Year!\u201d (Uh<\/em>, more on that later.)<\/p>\n Does anybody really know what time it is?<\/p>\n Yes, it\u2019s that time of year again: Time when no one knows what time it is.<\/p>\n But it\u2019s also time, most especially, for April Fools.<\/p>\n For the TIME being \u2026 let\u2019s talk about TIME.<\/p>\n Most of us recently set our clocks ahead one hour. Why? Because our calendars said to, that\u2019s why! I mean, did you have a say \u2013 a vote<\/em> \u2013 in this loss of an hour\u2019s sleep a few weeks back? Absolutely not. You were told by the news reader, your calendar, your teachers, bosses, even priests & bishops to:<\/p>\n SET YOUR CLOCKS AHEAD ONE HOUR BEFORE GOING TO BED ONE SATURDAY NIGHT.<\/p>\n Think about that a second. See, I can\u2019t escape from using words like \u201csecond\u201d to talk about time!<\/p>\n We spend a lot of time talking about time, and I say it\u2019s about, uh<\/em>, time<\/strong> that we get a little foolish \u2026<\/p>\n Yes, it\u2019s time for April Fools.<\/p>\n But more on the origin of April Fools, ahem<\/em>, later<\/strong>.<\/p>\n So, here\u2019s the plan, this year for April Fools I\u2019m calling on all Orthodox Christians to ask questions like a Protestant.<\/p>\n You know how those outside of the Church are always asking questions like:<\/p>\n \u201cOrthodoxy \u2026 hmmm<\/em>. How\u2019s that different than, say, Methodist or Baptist?\u201d<\/p>\n And, if you\u2019re like most Orthodox, you\u2019re kinda stumped as to how to answer \u2014 not, necessarily, because you are ignorant about Orthodoxy. But, it\u2019s just like: Gee<\/em> \u2026 where to begin?<\/p>\n (Look at that \u2013 begin<\/em> \u2013 another time word.)<\/p>\n So, this April my friends, beginning April 13th or so, go up to your Protestant friends and say:<\/p>\n \u201cHey Charles, what are you planning to do for Easter?\u201d<\/p>\n Charles will most likely say: \u201cWell, huh? You know we went to the beach over Easter break.\u201d<\/p>\n Or, if he\u2019s a churchy Protestant, he might say: \u201cWhat? We celebrated Easter already.\u201d<\/p>\n Then you follow up with: \u201cO really. Why did y\u2019all celebrate it so early this year?\u201d<\/p>\n Now, face it, truth be known most people celebrate Easter according to Hallmark. That\u2019s right. Whenever their wall calendar says the word EASTER, <\/em><\/strong>that\u2019s when it is. (It\u2019s like Mother\u2019s Day, Thanksgiving, Day Light Saving time \u2013 if it\u2019s on the Hallmark calendar, then that\u2019s when it is!)<\/p>\n But, you my dear April Fools, can say: \u201cOh, I see, you celebrate Easter according to the Pope \u2026 right?\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019ll be a good conversation starter with your Baptist friends!<\/p>\n But more on that later \u2026<\/em><\/p>\n As an Orthodox priest, I often get questions from Protestant inquirers such as: \u201cWhat version of the Bible do y\u2019all use?\u201d<\/p>\n (Orthodox, by the way, never ask this question.)<\/p>\n As a side story \u2026 a while back our parish librarian reported that two Orthodox Study Bibles had gone missing from the parish library. We looked everywhere. Then it dawned on me. I said, \u201cLook! If Orthodox people are stealing Bibles \u2026 that\u2019s a good sign!\u201d<\/p>\n You know the old Baptist trick where the pastor stands in front of the congregation and says, \u201cTurn with me now to Second Hezachiah Chapter 3 \u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n (I didn\u2019t think so. Orthodox never get that joke. They always ask their neighbor: \u201cWhat page?\u201d)<\/p>\n Oh heck, while we\u2019re at it \u2014 being fools this April<\/em> \u2013ask your Protestant friends how Peter died. They\u2019ll most likely say that he was crucified upside down. Then ask them to show you where that is recorded in the Bible.<\/p>\n Anyway, when I\u2019m asked \u201cWhat version of the Bible do the Orthodox use?\u201d I usually reply: \u201cPredominantly the Greek, but millions use the Slavonic.\u201d<\/p>\n Be creative this week, my dear April Fools! B-b-b-rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr-ing \u2026.. \u201cYes, uh<\/em>, what calendar do y\u2019all use?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry \u2026 what? What calendar do we use?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes \u2026 I mean, do y\u2019all use the Pope\u2019s calendar?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, no sir, we\u2019re Baptist.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh good \u2026 well then, what time are your Easter services?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUh \u2026 sir, we\u2019ve already celebrated Easter on April 12th \u2026 but our Sunday service is at \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n And I was walking down the street one day Yes, we\u2019ve all got time enough to cry.<\/p>\n But, why are we crying one hour later this week than we did last month? Why<\/em><\/strong>, in other words, did we all change our clocks, moving it ahead one hour?<\/p>\n As with all things confusing, we must start in France \u2026<\/p>\n During his time as an American envoy to France, Benjamin Franklin, author of the proverb, \u201cEarly to bed, and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise\u201d, anonymously published a letter suggesting that Parisians economize on candles by rising earlier to use morning sunlight. Franklin wrote a satire proposed taxing shutters, rationing candles, and waking the public by ringing church bells and firing cannons at sunrise.<\/p>\n The prominent English builder and outdoorsman William Willett invented DST in 1905 during one of his pre-breakfast horseback rides, when he observed with dismay how many Londoners slept through the best part of a summer day. An avid golfer, he also disliked cutting short his round at dusk. His solution was to advance the clock during the summer months, a proposal he published two years later. He lobbied unsuccessfully for the proposal until his death in 1915.<\/p>\n Germany, its World War I allies, and their occupied zones were the first European nations to use Willett\u2019s invention, starting April 30, 1916. Britain, most of its allies, and many European neutrals soon followed suit; Russia and a few other countries waited until the next year; and the United States adopted it in 1918. Since then, the world has seen many enactments, adjustments, and repeals.<\/p>\n Source<\/span><\/em><\/a> The earth rotates on its axis, roughly 24 hours = one day. It circles the sun, roughly a 365 day trip = one year (365.24219 days, to be exact).<\/p>\n Then, how do<\/em><\/strong> we come up with the date for Easter \u2013 or PASCHA? And what does this have to do with April Fools?<\/p>\n First, Pascha. Anytime you ask someone who actually knows the answer to how the Orthodox date the annual celebration of Our Lord\u2019s Glorious Resurrection , the answer leaves the following impression:<\/p>\n ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz,<\/em> the vernal equinox \u2026<\/strong> ZZZZZzzzzzz \u2026<\/em> carry the two \u2026<\/strong> ZZZZZZZZZ \u2026<\/em> multiply by x to the third power \u2026<\/strong> ZZZZZzzzzzz \u2026<\/em> add a Sunday \u2026<\/strong> ZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzz \u2026 Orthodox tradition dictates that Pascha is celebrated after the Vernal Equinox (the first full moon of spring) which, for convenience, is dated at March 21st \u2014 but, according to the Julian Calendar reckoning, which is April 7th. Also, our Paschal celebration follows<\/em><\/strong> that of the Jewish Passover \u2014 and yet, the Jews have even had some calendar reforms which complicates understanding even more.<\/p>\n Which brings us to the origin of April Fools<\/em><\/strong> \u2026 and I quote from an article written by Fr George Kevorkian:<\/p>\n And I was walking down the street one day Oops,<\/em><\/strong> wrong quote. Here we go:<\/p>\n The historical origin of April Fool\u2019s day actually deals with a very serious subject \u2013 the introduction of a new calendar. Ancient cultures as varied as the Romans and the Hindus had celebrated New Year\u2019s Day on April 1, which is closely related to the start of Spring. In medieval times, much of Europe celebrated New Year\u2019s Day on March 25th, the Feast of the Annunciation. In 1582, Pope Gregory ordered a new calendar, which has come to be known as the Gregorian Calendar to replace the older Julian Calendar. This new calendar called for New Year\u2019s Day to be celebrated on January 1, instead of April 1. Many countries, however, resisted the change for centuries. Those who had accepted the change began to refer to the resisters as \u201cfools\u201d and would send them on fools errands, or try to trick them. In 1752, Great Britain finally adopted the Gregorian Calendar, but retained April 1 as a day for trickery.<\/p>\n Fr George encourages us to become a different kind of fool: \u201cLet no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.\u201d (1 Corinthians 3:18-19)<\/p>\n There is much \u201cwisdom\u201d in this world that we would be very wise to ignore. It may appear to be true, and even seductive, but this earthly wisdom denies God. Our only measure of true wisdom must be found in Christ, and we can only truly approach Him to the extent that we abandon the wisdom of this world that is in opposition to Him. It is in this sense that St. Paul calls us to become fools to this world, so that we may become wise to the things of God.<\/p>\n The Orthodox Church commemorates many Saints who took up the ascetic struggle of being \u201cfools-for-Christ\u201d. Two of the notable Saints are Andrew, Fool-for Christ-sake, and Basil, Fool-for-Christ-sake of Moscow. Both of these wonderful people led their lives appearing to be \u201cinsane\u201d to the world as a means of putting aside the things of this world for the sake of drawing nearer to Christ. They wandered the streets of their cities hungry and half-naked so that they appeared to the world as outcasts. But in their \u201cinsanity\u201d to this world, they became a consolation to others, and were given the gifts of prophecy and discernment.<\/p>\n It is especially relevant that this secular day of \u201cApril Fools\u201d comes during the Orthodox Great Fast. In this Holy Season, we are called to turn away from the many distractions of the world, and to turn toward God. It is in this turning away from the distractions of the world that we indeed are called to become fools.<\/p>\n Previously published on the Antiochian webpage (copied <\/span><\/em>here<\/span><\/em><\/a>).<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n S<\/span>o, forgive me. I guess it\u2019s not fitting for us, as Orthodox Christians, to act as worldly fools or to cause confusion during this time of April Fools because, even though the lyrics are 30 years old, they still hold true:<\/p>\n
<\/em><\/strong>
For instance, on or about April 15th \u2026<\/p>\n
<\/em>
\u201cHello, Second Baptist Church \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
A pretty lady looked at me and said her diamond watch had
stopped cold dead
And I said
Does anybody really know what time it is
I don\u2019t
Does anybody really care
care
If so I can\u2019t imagine why
about time
We\u2019ve all got time enough to cry
Oh no, no<\/em><\/p>\n
<\/span><\/em>
I<\/span>n the end, changing the clocks is just good for commerce. But we really can\u2019t change<\/em><\/strong> time can we?<\/p>\n
<\/em>
I will not bore you with a full, exact and 100% correct answer (you can look that up on the Internet), except to say:<\/p>\n
Being pushed and shoved by people trying to beat the clock,
oh, so I just don\u2019t know,
I just don\u2019t know
And I said, yes I said<\/em><\/p>\n
<\/em><\/strong>
As Orthodox Christians we are called to become fools to the things of this world, as a means of drawing closer to the things of God. We read in the teachings of St. Paul:<\/p>\n