Never confuse the person, formed in the image of God, with the evil that is in him, because evil is but a chance misfortune, illness, a devilish reverie. But the very essence of the person is the image of God, and this remains in him despite every disfigurement.
– St. John of Kronstadt
Greetings Thomas Kevin!
Wonderful quote from St John! It reminds of something similar that I heard years ago, “Love the person, hate the sin.” If we would only take a deep look inside of ourselves, and see the sin present.
For many, they cannot separate the two, and if a person does evil, they hate the person. We must be very careful I think in this area, and it can be hard sometimes to separate the person from the deeds that they do. Our hearts ought to ache for the condition of the person’s soul, not to mention that, Jesus Christ commands us to pray for them.
This is yet another reason why I love Holy Orthodoxy! It teaches us to always see ourselves as St. Paul says, chief among sinners. This ties in beautifully with today’s Epistle reading in 1 Corinthinans 10:12, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” Pride is at the root.
Thanks for posting this my friend!
Humbly,
Unworthy Reader Seraphim
Amen!
Nice to read these words in the midst of an ‘i messed up’ evening.
Very good quote. Herman Art
Thank you for the quote, I was able to use in this morning’s homily.
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Cheers! Sandra. R.
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