Mark Sedrak stuur die volgende uittreksel in sy daaglikse brief uit. Dit herinner my aan Jesus se Bergrede-woorde dat die kleinste mislukkings en nalatighede 'n mens se innerlike verraai. Dit is nie bloot net die moord op mense wat sonde is nie. Die hatige, harde woord oor en teenoor ander wys dat daar binne in 'n mens donker kragte werk. Iemand wat in die teenwoordigheid van God leef, is getrou tot in die kleinste dinge. Die liefde is juis so groot omdat dit tot in die detail omgee.
One time some seniors from the Athonite School asked him [Elder Paisios] what they should watch out for most in their lives. “Pay attention to the little everyday things,” he answered. “You sit there comfortably in your armchair, and you think that it’s not bad or a sin; you say, ‘It doesn’t matter.’ It doesn’t matter if we eat a little more, or if we ask for good food. It doesn’t matter if we sleep a little bit more. It doesn’t matter if I was a little short with my parents or someone else. This doesn’t matter, that doesn’t matter…. We justify all these little wrongs. But not paying attention to the small things will lead us to do even bigger wrongs – and then we’ll say, ‘it doesn’t matter’ about them too. We shouldn’t let the body be lazy because the body affects the spirit. We have to be vigilant.
One time some seniors from the Athonite School asked him [Elder Paisios] what they should watch out for most in their lives. “Pay attention to the little everyday things,” he answered. “You sit there comfortably in your armchair, and you think that it’s not bad or a sin; you say, ‘It doesn’t matter.’ It doesn’t matter if we eat a little more, or if we ask for good food. It doesn’t matter if we sleep a little bit more. It doesn’t matter if I was a little short with my parents or someone else. This doesn’t matter, that doesn’t matter…. We justify all these little wrongs. But not paying attention to the small things will lead us to do even bigger wrongs – and then we’ll say, ‘it doesn’t matter’ about them too. We shouldn’t let the body be lazy because the body affects the spirit. We have to be vigilant.
