The life of the heart is love, and its death is anger and animosity. God keeps us on earth so that our hearts may be permeated with love: this is the purpose of our temporal life in this world.

Our love towards God emerges and acts in us when we begin to love our neighbor as we do ourselves: when for him — this image of God — we do not spare ourselves or anything material, when we utilize everything we can in our attempts to save him; when for the sake of pleasing God, we deny satisfaction to our stomach, this corporeal perception, when we conquer our carnal reason with God’s reason. The Holy Scripture teaches: “For anyone who has not loved his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen” and “those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (1 John 4:20; Gal. 5:24).

Remember that the Lord is in every Christian. When your neighbor comes to you, have the utmost respect for him as God is in him. Often, God expresses His will through people: “For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13). Just as you would not spare anything for God, do not spare anything for your brother. Be sincere, kind and joyful toward everyone. Remember, that sometimes God disposes the hearts of the unbelievers towards us, as it happened in Egypt when through God’s intervention, Joseph received a favorable disposition from his dungeon-keeper (Gen. 39:21).

Remember that to God, a human is a great and precious being. But after its fall, this great creation became weak, subordinate to many weaknesses. In loving and respecting him as the bearer of the Creator’s image, bear also his weaknesses — diverse passions and unseemly acts — as those of a sick person. It is said: “We who are strong enough to bear with the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves”… “Carry each others burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ” (Romans 15:1, Gal 6:2).

Love every person, regardless of his sinful state. Sin is sin, but the basis of a human being is one and only — the image of God. Sometimes, the weaknesses of people are apparent when, for example, they are malicious, proud, envious, stingy, greedy. But remember, that you yourself are not without evil, and perhaps, there may be more of it in you than in others. In any case, with regard to sin, all people are alike; “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23); we all are guilty before God and we are all in need of His mercy. That is why we have to tolerate and mutually forgive one another, so that our Heavenly Father may forgive us our transgressions (Mat. 6:14). Look how much God loves us, how much He has done and continues to do for us, how He punishes us lightly yet pardons us so abundantly and benevolently!

If you want to reform someone from his deficiencies, do not think of improving him with your own abilities only, as we do more harm than good, for example, through our pride and irritability. But “cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you” (Psalms 54:23) and pray to Him with all your heart, so that He Himself may enlighten the mind and heart of the individual. If He sees that your prayer is penetrated with love, then it would undoubtedly be answered, and you would quickly see the change in that person that you are praying for. It is the work of “the right hand of the Most High” (Psalms 77:10).

As a true Christian that is trying to accumulate as many benevolent deeds and treasures of love as possible, rejoice at every opportunity to show kindness to your neighbor. Do not look for kindness and love, and regard yourself as being unworthy of them. Above all else, rejoice when an opportunity arises for you to help someone. Express your love plainly, without any backward thought or any thoughts of personal gain and remember — God is love. Simple creature, remember that He sees all your thoughts and the behavior of your heart.

Be bold and decisive in every act of goodness, in words of endearment and in your participation — especially in matters of compassion and help. Anticipate the feelings of despondency and feebleness whenever you consider performing a good deed. Say, “Even though I am a foremost sinner, ‘I can do everything through Him who gives me strength… Everything is possible for him who believes’” (Phil. 4:13, Mark 9:23).

The one thing needful
(From the spiritual diary of St. John of Kronstadt, “My Life in Christ”)

What do I need? There is nothing on earth that I need, except that which is most essential. What do I need, what is most essential? I need the Lord, I need His grace, His kingdom within me. On earth, which is the place of my wanderings, my temporary being, there is nothing that is truly mine, everything belongs to God and is temporal, everything serves my needs temporarily. What do I need? I need true and active Christian love; I need a loving heart which takes compassion on its neighbors; I need joy over their prosperity and well-being, and sorrow over their sorrows and illnesses, their sins, failings, disorders, woes, poverty; I need warm and sincere compassion for all the circumstances of their lives, joy for those who are joyous and tears for those who are in tears. Enough of selfishness, egoism, living only for oneself and acquiring everything only for oneself: riches, pleasures, the glory of this world; enough of spiritual dying instead of living, grieving instead of rejoicing, and carrying within oneself the poison of selfishness, for selfishness is a poison that is continuously poured into our hearts by Satan. O, let me cry out with King David: Whom have I in heaven but Thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides Thee. My flesh and my heart fail, but God is the strength of my heart. Grant me, O Lord, true life, dispel the darkness of my passions, disperse their power with Thy strength, for with Thee all things are possible!

I grew up among the Plymouth Brethren a community of earnest but stern men and women in headscarves with large hearts beneath their long hair and dresses (no pants back then).

The hymns were without instruments and the eucharist, although it wasn’t the eucharist, was every Sunday. We read the Bible, a lot, and the men tried as best they could to preach but it was a labor of love both to do and to listen. Wednesday was prayer meeting, a near hour on our knees and a rap on the back of the head if we fell asleep.

Most certainly their heart was in the right place. They were people who had been saved and were trying their best to live as saints in a world they knew was soon to pass away. If the odd ideas of dispensationalism and a propensity to deal with the end times was their low point their high point was in a desire for everyday piety, a love of sacred texts, and a vision for heaven.

I remember their songs from time to time and still sing them occasionally when I’m by myself in the car. In some ways I am a million miles away from those days. I’m sure the thought of me, presuming that I am even remembered, being Orthodox may be proof to some of how far I’ve wandered away, of the dangers of leaving the fold, and the jeopardy of drifting from the assembly.

Yet here I am, after all these years, in a community of faith where the singing is without music, the Eucharist is every Sunday, the Scriptures are venerated, people kneel, and women sometimes still wear headscarves. In some ways I’m on the other side of the world, in some ways I’m not very far from where I started.