Law

Love and Law

I have always been interested in the acute problem of the relationship between love and power. On the one hand, love, as it was taught and lived by Christ and every holy man of God, and on the other hand, there are various relationships, both between people and between states, built on the basis of power.

I asked the Elder what he thought about it. He answered: "Everything is very difficult" – and he told me the following parable: "In ancient times there was a monastery in the mountains. The monks in this monastery lived peacefully and calmly. But one day a gang of robbers broke into the monastery fence. Their faces were fierce, they entered the church, and the ataman summoned the abbot to him. One monk conveyed to the elder, who was in the altar at that time, the demand of the head of the gang. But the abbot was in no hurry. He asked the ataman to wait a little, and himself, kneeling before the holy altar, began to fervently pray to the Lord that He would deliver them from the impending danger. At this time, the ataman was curiously examining the temple frescoes. He was a savage, and his attention was attracted by the image of the Last Judgment, and especially by the terrible serpent that spewed flames from its open mouth and devoured those condemned to torture. At that moment, the abbot came out of the altar. Seeing him, the ataman said:

"Give me all the monastery treasures immediately, otherwise we will slaughter you all." But first, I want you to tell me what is depicted here.

The abbot, who did not cease to pray silently, explained to the thief that on one half of the fresco is depicted Christ taking the righteous with Him to Paradise, and on the other half is the devil-serpent, devouring sinners among the hellish flames.

"And who are these sinners?" The ataman asked again.

The abbot answered him:

"These are the people who steal, kill, swear, dishonor their wives... These are people who do all kinds of evil...

"Does this mean," the robber interrupted the elder anxiously, "that I, too, will go to hell?"

"As it seems to me," the abbot replied to him, "you yourself strive there.

"Is it possible to avoid torment?"

— Yes, you can.

"How?"