If one seeks to transform an adversary into a friend, it is essential to be gentle, humble, and to express love, refraining from responding to harm with harm, or annoyance with annoyance; for fire cannot extinguish fire, nor can evil conquer evil, and hostility cannot resolve hostility; instead, it only intensifies. In contrast, gentleness, humility, and love can triumph over even the strongest grievances. The Holy Scripture clearly states, “The answer of the humble will take away wrath” (Proverbs 15:1).
His Holiness Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem, recounts a tale of two bishops who lived in close proximity and were at odds with one another. One bishop was wealthy and aggressive, while the other exhibited great humility. The wealthy bishop sought to do harm to his humble counterpart. Upon learning of this conflict, the humble bishop said to his clerics, “I know what I will do, and I will prevail through the grace of Christ.” The clerics responded, “My lord, who could possibly oppose you?” To which he replied, “Be patient, and you will witness the mercy of God.”
During the feast of the holy martyrs, the humble bishop traveled to the city where the hostile bishop resided, instructing his clerics to follow him and to emulate his actions so that they might overcome the conflict. Perplexed, his clerics wondered what he intended. Upon entering the city, he observed the other bishop participating in a litany to the holy martyrs, joined by the townspeople. The humble bishop approached him and knelt at his feet along with his clerics, saying, “Forgive us, O Lord, from this moment we are your servants.” Astonished, the opposing bishop was moved by the profound humility displayed by his friend, for God had transformed his harsh judgment into affection. He then bowed to the humble bishop and grasped his feet, pleading, “You, my lord, forgive me!” From that moment onward, their relationship was filled with deep love. The humble bishop then turned to his clerics, saying, “Did I not tell you that I would triumph through the grace of Christ? And you, when faced with an enemy, should follow this example, and you too will prevail.” This illustrates how a gentle word and submission can dispel fury, resolve enmity, and convert an enemy into a friend. In contrast, a harsh word only stirs anger.
The life of St. Macarius of Egypt tells of an incident where he was traveling from the hermitage to the mountain of Nitria. As he approached, he instructed his disciple to walk ahead. The disciple encountered a pagan priest in a hurry, carrying a large tree. The disciple insulted him, calling out, “Listen, demon, where are you going?” Angered, the priest severely beat him and fled with his tree, leaving the disciple nearly dead. As Abba Macarius passed by, he called out, “Save yourself, laborer, save yourself!” The priest, taken aback, replied, “What goodness do you see in me that prompts you to greet me in such a manner?” The priest acknowledged that he recognized Macarius as a man of God, but expressed his remorse for beating the disciple after being provoked. The priest then pleaded with Macarius, “I will not leave you until you make me a Christian and a monk.” He accompanied St. Macarius to find the injured disciple and managed to bring him to the church on the Nitrian mountain, where the monks were astonished to see a pagan priest with the monk. They baptized him, and he became a monk, leading many Greeks to faith as a result. Abba Macarius remarked, “An evil word corrupts the good, while a good word transforms the evil into goodness.”
THEOSIS