In another article I will discuss Amvona, a blog which covers topics of faith, technology, economics and investing. In this article, I will focus on Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson, a priest, teacher and scholar. Fr. Lemelson is part of the Albanian Orthodox Diocese of America, a jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the United States. He was ordained in July 2011. Fr. Lemelson earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theology and Religious Studies from Seattle University and a Master’s in Divinity from Hellenic College/Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology.
Fr. Lemelson is founder and director of The Lantern Foundation, which was established in December 2012. The foundation’s mission is to “provide financial support to religious and community service organizations, particularly those related to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, and other entities organized for religious, charitable, and educational purposes and to raise, generate, and solicit contributions in furtherance of this purpose.”
Fr. Lemelson founded Amvona, a blog which covers topics of faith, technology, economics and investing. He authored over sixty critical essays covering the topics of Theology, Security Analysis, Economics and Property Law. This work has been published on blogs such as "Zerohedge" and "DailyBail" and financial news and analysis sites such as Seeking Alpha and GuruFocus. When asked about how readers use the blog Fr. Lemelson said, “It was hoped that the articles would help the readers think beyond just the immediate issues to the larger human issues, including the problems of economic injustice that arise from asymmetrical knowledge. In the case of the legal analysis, there have been many victims, who either lacked inspiration or ability to fight on their own. It is hoped some of those were helped or at least did not feel alone.”
When asked about his role with Amvona and how faith has guided its decisions, Fr. Lemelson responded, “To write articles that are in some way instructive and that hopefully lead the reader beyond the immediate or discrete issues to their greater meaning. For instance, the recent financial abuses in housing caused many to suffer unnecessarily. Critical questions ought to be asked – how did it occur on such a massive scale, and in of all places, the US? Many of the greatest minds in finance have either ignored the issue of economic injustice or perhaps don’t understand it fully, which is a shame because they have influential voices and could affect change. Faith is everything. Nothing should be done that does not emerge from faith. Faith is nurtured by prayer. The online retail business was started in 1999 as a full time student with only a few hundred dollars and went on to generate over $40 million in revenues. The distance from the beginning point to the later was traversed by constant prayer. In prayer one’s mind is focused, and God shows us the answers we need. If we dedicate our work to Him, and ask that our endeavors be blessed so that it may serve some purpose beyond ourselves, then how is it possible to fail? It is most freeing to remember that everything we have was given to us, and is not to be kept for ourselves.”
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