Are We Following Christ?

But Peter followed him afar off (Mt.26, 58)

Peter was following Him, but this following ended up in denial, because he was following “afar off”. He distanced himself from Christ, and that was the beginning of evil. He got behind and the distance between him and his Master became too big. He felt a desire to follow, but not close enough.

Exactly the same way in our times a lot of people follow Christ: they don’t leave Him completely; they do not become non-believers, but they also are not connected with Him closely, they do not follow Him step by step, the follow “afar off”. So many people get lost in the worldly things, worldly entertainment and thus loose their communication with Christ; they are too busy with all sorts of things, they come to Christ by habit, on Sundays, but loose Him from their sight during the week.

Their prayers become rare and shorter, they stop studying the Word of God, their faith cools down, everything spiritual turns into a dead letter. Externally they follow Christ, but in reality they are very far from Him and got themselves very close to complete rejection.

Let us ask ourselves, how do we follow Christ? With zealous, with love, or do we follow like Peter, afar off, getting too busy with side things? This kind of path is very dangerous: the one who gets afar off Christ today, tomorrow will find himself in danger of complete rejection of the Savior – and how much bitter tears and harm it will cause to him and those around him!

(Translated from “Every Day is a Gift from God. Diaries of an Orthodox Priest”, author unknown)
Translation by Tatiana Rozzell copyrighted 2009/2010. All rights reserved