I love Orthodox theology. Should I become a priest?

Loving theology in an academic way is not a precursor to becoming a priest. Historically there was no seminary. People had a simple academic understanding of the faith, but a profound sense of the mysteries of the church and of the living, awesome God. And forgive me, but there are people who get ordained without that reverence, and I hate to see it. You don't spend much time as a priest talking theology with people.

Inquirers have theological questions, but they're mostly very basic. People don't need an academic understanding of the faith. They need an interpersonal relationship with Christ, and that is what the priest is helping to facilitate. As the desert fathers say, he who prays is a theologian, and he who prays truly is truly a theologian. A person with true depths of prayer is far more advanced than somebody with head knowledge but no experiential knowledge of the Holy Spirit.

St Paul said, knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. I love the story Bishop Emilianos told: a theologian dies, comes to the gates, and is asked, do you know Christ? Of course, I've lectured about him for 40 years. Wait over there. A bishop dies: of course, I have apostolic succession, I've led the diocese. Wait over there. Then an old babushka dies, and when she is asked, my child, do you know Christ, she says, my Lord, how could I not know you?

I've been loving you my whole life. That is what it means to know Christ. Not in the head, not through service, but through the love of the heart.