Sometimes a typo can be a great thing!
Someone called “Another Scary Ghost” on Twitter said they “made a typo googling why Orthodox Monks have beards and found something much more pertinent and important.”
She accidentally left out the “d” in beards, making it “bears,” and discovered a bunch of amazing pictures of Orthodox priests and monks hanging out with bears like they’re pets!
Talk about hardcore!
Apparently lots of people thought this was cool, too: as of this writing, the tweet has been retweeted 7,800 times and liked over 21,000 times!
There’s actually precedent for there being a connection between Orthodox priest-monks and bears. Seraphim of Sarov, who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, is one of the most famous saints in the Eastern Orthodox church, and was even commended by Pope St. John Paul II. He lived for many years as a hermit in the forest, praying, studying, and befriending many wild animals including a bear!
He is often depicted with his bear friend:
The most famous quote attributed to him is: “Acquire a peaceful spirit, and thousands around you will be saved.”
[See also: Inside “Trinity Church,” the Stunning Orthodox Wonder at the South Pole]
[See also: The Hidden Wonder of the U.S. Capital: St. Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral]