Prior to his conversion, St. Vladimir was an infamous polygamist, fornicator, and worshipper of idols. And indeed, we know from the story of Solomon that these behaviors—sexual incontinence and the worship of idols—are often connected. The Scriptures often connect the cults of pagan gods with unrestrained amorous behavior; more than this, they liken idolatry itself to adultery, a betrayal of the chosen people’s union with the one true God, the Lord. When St. Vladimir came to know that one true God, his repentance was radical: he put away all his former wives and concubines and took as spouse a daughter of the Byzantine emperor, and at Kiev he had the idol of the god Perun thrown into the river. As members of God’s elect, called out from among the nations to be a new, pure, and holy people, we are called to a similar repentance. We should leave no room in our lives or hearts for idolatrous impurity; we should struggle to put away all that is old and fallen. And, when we inevitably fail to eradicate our idols and sins completely, we should repent from the heart for falling short of our calling as Christians.
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