Lecture by metropolitan Elpidophoros of Bursa

The devil and his cohorts work with every available means to alter, distort and disfigure the truth; the devil and his cohorts make every possible effort to remove altogether the sacredness of the unique and unrepeatable human person in order to distance us from the life-giving Word of God. But such “… evil is only eradicated by holiness, not by harshness; and holiness introduces into society a seed that heals and transforms,” as Patriarch Bartholomew concludes (15). Sometimes spiritual radiance, peaceful serenity, meekness, purity and authentic joyfulness can speak more powerfully than the eloquent words of passionate sermons. As St. Ignatius of Antioch says: “The words [of such a person] have the force of actions and his silence the power of speech.”

The success of great works does not depend so much upon the dexterity, art, and rhetorical power, as it does upon the blessing of God. Without the divine assistance and empowerment, human endeavors are reduced to mere vanities. In this regard, the most powerful weapon in the struggle against evil is prayer (16). Trust and reliance upon God provide tremendous security. This is the lesson and recommendation of the evangelical way of life, which never disappoints the humble person who embarks upon its journey.

Orthodox spirituality is not the ability to stand upon a high pulpit, the loud applause for some extraordinary achievement, or a form of nirvana that does not even exist in Orthodoxy; nor again is it some impeccable condition or passivity, an immobility or perfection. Perfection in Orthodox spirituality is an endless journey, according to St. Gregory of Nyssa. The spiritual struggle is constant and never-ending, persistent and life-long. In such a struggle there will be delays, backsliding, failures, hesitations, interruptions and deviations. This is why we have the evangelical truth of metanoia – repentance, change of mind, a new beginning, the sincere restoration of human life by divine grace (17). Repentance has nothing to do with anxious embarrassment and feelings of guilt, but rather with an acknowledgment of sinfulness, the acceptance of inadequacy and the profound desire to be reunited with Christ. It is an opportunity for self-examination, self-knowledge in recognizing captivity to ungodly passions or deprivation of godly virtues, the desperate need to be liberated from sins. Our return to God will always find the open arms of the expectant and loving Father, who is ready to embrace and fervently kiss the prodigal son.

Christ said: “I am the truth!”(18). His word is altogether true. Indeed, it is truth itself, since he is also love itself. This is why we must always and everywhere speak “in truth and in love.” In our times, the Word of God is not generally acceptable to people. Hearts are tightly shut; they are hardened, often like stone. People’s ears, too, are shut. The numerous thorny concerns of daily life, according to the evangelical parable, are very strong obstacles. There are, of course, also many hearts with good disposition, hearts that are pliable and blessed. With such hearts, any human weakness can be laid before the holiness of the Word of God in order to allow the Holy Spirit to manifest the meaning of Sacred Scripture and guides one to the eternal truth. Beyond the many dense words of the mass media, which provide us with daily information and news bulletins, the need for the life-bearing Word of God remains most urgent. Let us hope that there will always be those “who have the ears to hear”(19).