And this spiritually opening world of beauty and higher life is not an illusion, not a fantasy of the poet. It exists, it really exists behind the same forms, behind the same nature that surrounds us. That which for the poets of this world is only an idea, a dream, then, in an even more enlightened form, for the Christian who is not of this world, is the highest real reality in which he lives, which is hidden from the eyes of the body and impure hearts, which is inexpressible in coarse human language and inconceivable in pale earthly colors.

We are not of this world. This does not mean, however, that we should inwardly alienate those people with whom real life brings us together, and dream of other beings who would be more suitable for our ideal. Yes, we must be as far away as possible from all that is evil, both in ourselves and in others; It is our duty to fight this tirelessly and mercilessly. But this evil is that which alienates people from one another and produces enmity and discord among them. By withdrawing from this, the Christian leaves this elemental world, where people are mutual enemies, into the world where they can be friends and brothers. But this world is not in the dreamy heights of fantasy, but in the same environment and in the same people among whom we live. No matter how much they are at enmity with each other, they still feel that there is in them some higher world of good feelings: love, truth, benevolence, and self-sacrifice. From outside and by the inertia of passions they are waging a fierce mutual struggle, but inside they cannot but revere the common one holiness of all, which invisibly and inaudibly penetrates the very depths of their sinful souls. It is in this real shrine of the real people around us that there is "that" world in which we must live as Christians.

People of this world think that this sacred thing is only one dream, only a non-existent ideal: that it is only in the personal fantasy and in the good impulses of each one, and that it does not represent anything really powerful and existent. She brightens up this hard and prosaic life with her dreams, but she herself is only a dream and nothing more. A man dies, the body dissolves, and the dream disappears like a mist.

The Christian directly experiences the reality of this shrine in his spirit. He feels that this world of love and harmony already exists, already exists in the depths of the spirit in each of those around him, you just need to want and be able to enter it. He realizes that this is not only his creation, not only his good impulse, but a more, much more objective and eternal reality than everything else that is visibly before us. He penetrates to that inner depth, where the people who are at war around him have converged with the unknown roots of their spiritual existence and are immersed in the grace-filled world of the heavenly kingdom. This world is within them, but only so deeply and behind so many veils and masks, often woven by themselves, that they do not know it well and do not feel all the beauty and power of its very real life. A Christian sees him and goes to him.

A Christian must fully thirst for this inner kingdom, but this does not mean that he must therefore be inertly inactive or idle and dreaming in this world. The grace-filled life of heaven is revealed to us to the extent of the free enlightenment of the earth. To make our soul and body pure and holy, to raise the nature around us to its most perfect forms; to enlighten the entire sphere of the concrete life given to us, to give life to our neighbors with the breath that we ourselves receive from above; to pass on to them the joy, the grace that embraces us; to discover in them the heaven that has opened in us; to give them your life so that it may be reborn and blossom in them; in short: to imitate Christ, the Apostles, the Hierarchs and the Martyrs — this is the surest and proper path to the kingdom "not of this world."

In this way, the believer in "that" kingdom enters into the innermost communion with the people around him, although often unknown to them. It is not apart from them that he seeks the heaven to which he is called, but in them and through them. He goes to that world through active communion with the neighbors of this world, whether it is in the sphere of thought, deed, or invisible prayer and love. What may seem to be the solitude of a Christian is only an appearance. He is closer to his neighbors than the neighbors themselves are to each other and to themselves. He does not dream, but really lives in that real world which earthly dreams hide from our spirit of the Pasha. His kingdom is "not of this world" — not in the foggy distance of time and space, not in the abstract emptiness of inventions and phantoms, as in the case of earthly poets and thinkers, but now, at this moment, in this small space, in this environment, between these neighbors. Through them, in their own depths, he sees the enlightened wondrous world of that kingdom of all beauty, life and harmony which always embraces them, but which they cannot enter, gliding irresistibly over the brilliant surface of this world into the series of grandiose external perspectives unfolding before them. The Kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21)

IV. "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth" Matt. 5:5

The world, full of wickedness and iniquity, prospers in its way; he rushes noisily and identically along the path of external development, not knowing God and not needing Him. A pious person, being in the Church, remains completely aloof from this noisy and victorious procession; he cannot morally join it and become one of its leaders and participants. However, the outward success of the world, its victorious cliques, its contemptuous attitude towards the humble Church of Christ – can they not sometimes confuse even the believing heart, can they not sometimes plant a spark of envy and jealousy even in a courageous soul? The people of this world, in lies and without God, overtaking and trampling on each other, conquer the earth and take possession of its blessings. And those who live in Christ, trying to observe the inner truth and live in God's way, of course, but necessity, must lag behind in this contest, and, of course, the proud figures of the world who overtake them on all paths will look down on them and with contempt.

But let's not be confused by this. The ways of the Church are in the hands of God. Let us commit our ways to Him, and let us not be afraid. He will bring out our righteousness as light, and our justice as noonday.

We must firmly believe in the power and strength of our God. We should not even allow anger in our hearts when we see the successes of the wicked, much less be zealous to do evil to them. Did not our God already reveal to us through the mouth of David that those who do evil will be cut off, and the meek will inherit the earth and enjoy the abundance of peace? Can this promise of God not be fulfilled? And did not Christ say the same thing to us: Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth? Of course, this promise sounds somewhat strange to us: the unbelief and godlessness of the world have managed to cast their shadow on us as well, and we hesitate to believe in the triumph of the meek on this earth, and we are ready to understand the inheritance of the earth in the general vague and abstract form of some kind of allegory...

But here is the direct meaning and the direct truth, and it will be fully realized when Christ comes to earth with all the saints, when there will be a new heaven and a new earth, and when the meek and renewed, like the angels of God, will inherit this earth, given to them by God as an inheritance at the creation of the world.

And look how in many ways God's revelations regarding the meek Church of Christ have already been fulfilled. Did not the representatives of the Jewish people gnash their teeth at her, and did not God laugh at them, foreseeing the day of their national destruction? Did not the heathen draw their swords, draw their bows, to bring down the church of the poor and needy, to pierce those who walk the straight path? And did not their sword enter into their own hearts, and their bows were not broken? Did not the pagan power bow down to the foot of the cross of Christ, having previously crucified a multitude of innocent victims on the crosses in madness? And whom they wanted to wipe off the face of the earth by all means of torture and death — did they not overcome their tormentors with patience and meekness and inherit their land?

But the struggle of the world against the Church did not stop. Violence has moved from one form to another. Defeated in one kind of weapon, it seized on another. The godless rulers of the innumerable riches of the world, who are now fighting against Christ and the Church, who hold the fate of nations in their hands and take the land into their power – who are they if not the same Jewish leaders who used to gnash their teeth at the apostles, if not the same representatives of the pagan power who scourged and executed them?

But their fate is also foretold. While they, united together, will enter into glory and be exalted, destruction will come upon them; disappearing they will disappear like smoke...