The Right Way

                                                                                        To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not
                                                                                         grievous, but for you it is safe. (Phil.3, 1)

Apostle Paul does not mind to repeat same instructions over and over again. He is sure that this repetition is useful for those, who it is directed to. People love and seek all new. In vain the old people offer same books that they learned from to the young people. Youth is not satisfied with them and that’s why the upbringing becomes difficult. A child gets tired of repetition; not having remembered the alphabet he tries to learn the science that is beyond him yet.

We see the same in the spiritual world. We have heard many times that parishioners complain of hearing same over and over in the sermons. But would it be right to leave off something important in lieu of something new, the only unchangeable and eternal?

Truth is one, like God is One and Redemption is one. That is why it should not be boring for a Christian to read  the Word of God over and over again. By reading the Holy Scripture over and over again he will get amazed by something that remained unnoticed last time. Isn’t our unwillingness to read  same over and over again is a sign of our indifference towards the truth, which tells us about salvation and promises eternal bliss? The desire for something new is usually followed by wondering on your own paths.

A man gets detached from the root and he gets disoriented. And soon, not having found the ground, he drags himself into emptiness and gets disappointed in everything  and falls into depression. Only one path was laid for the man from the beginning of times, the path, where all His blessings are concentrated at, which goes with Him and leads directly to Him. This is an old path, but at the same time it is “a new and living way” (Heb.10, 20) This is a firm path, because its beginning and the end is the Word of God; at the same time this is a path where different experiences and wondrous discoveries happen, life-giving springs and everlasting light are everywhere. It is easy to find it, if we find the right door leading to it. Jesus said: “I am the door:  by Me if any man  enter in, he shall be saved“ (Jn.10, 9)

(Translated by Tatiana Rozzell from “Every Day is a Gift from God. Diaries of an Orthodox Priest”(1905), author unknown)