It is an attribute of the spiritual person, for a spiritual person combines in himself/herself various virtues even though they seem contradicting
Virtues in a spiritual person do not contradict each other nor diminish, but they are integrated.
A spiritual person is never satisfied with one virtue, but struggles to acquire all virtues, for the Lord says, “You shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Mt 5:48).
He does not acquire one virtue at the expense of another. Virtues do not destroy each other.
In God-blessed be His name – all virtues are perfect, as revealed in the Lord Christ. In Him is combined love, firmness, mercy and justice, meekness and courage, simplicity and wisdom, goodness and power, ministry and meditation … etc. Let us now speak about this integration of virtues.
Simplicity & wisdom
It is wrong to be simple and not wise. Simplicity in such a case will be plainness, and a person may be blamed for some acts. But true simplicity is to be simple and wise at the same time as the Lord teaches us (Mt 10:16).
Simplicity means freedom from complications, not lack of wisdom.
Christian simplicity is wise, and Christian wisdom is simple.
There may be a person who says very wise words but in simplicity. Such a person will have a prudent mind and a simple heart. His wisdom is void of the complexity of philosophers, but one that everybody can understand.
Simplicity also does not mean to believe everything without thinking, or to let others deceive or make fun of you, but rather to be cautious and to have presence of mind to be able to discern the wolves that put on sheep’s clothes. In one’s wisdom, one will not live in doubts, caution and distrust. One should not mix matters, but arrange them.
The words “love believes all things” (1 Cor 13:7) should be taken to mean that one believes all God’s promises and miracles and believes that trials which God permits are for good. With respect to people we should put before us the words: “Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God,” “Test all things; hold fast what is good.” (1 Jn 4:1; 1 Thess 5: 21) In simplicity one obeys, but combines obedience and wisdom, as the apostle says, “Obey your parents in the Lord,” “We ought to obey God rather than men.” (Eph 6:1; Acts 5:29).
A perfect personality ought not to be led by one virtue, but ought to combine every virtue with wisdom, love, and humbleness.
Goodness & power
The Lord Christ was very good-hearted, never quarreled nor cried out, no one ever heard His voice in the streets, never broke a bruised reed, or quenched a smoking flax (Mt 12:19,20). However, at the same time, He was very powerful in personality, in words, in convincing others, in love, in His influence on others… He was kind-hearted, loved children and treated them kindly, let His disciple John lean on His boom, and defended the sinful woman, but beside all this He never lost His awe inspiring character.
He let Satan tempt Him, but when Satan went beyond limits He rebuked him and he left Him (Mt 4).
He let the officers arrest Him, but when He said to them, “I am He” they fell to the ground in awe (Jn 18:6). It is supposed that parents and teachers be kind and respectful.
It is not good that they lose their respect because of their kindness.
Respect is necessary for keeping order and values, and kindness is necessary so that people may obey out of love rather than terror.
There is a type of monks who are so kind that they may be fathers, but cannot be bishops because they lack the spirit of management and their conscience may feel uncomfortable when they take a firm stand. Management or firmness contradict spirituality?! Nay. A spiritual person can have both kindness and firmness, goodness and management, fatherhood and superiority … Joseph the Righteous was very firm and his brothers were terrified in his presence (Gen 45 : 3), but he could not control himself on introducing himself to his brothers, and he cried out (Gen 45:1,2). Kindness and power, love and firmness appeared clearly in the Lord Christ when He cleansed the temple.
(O You who are powerful,
holding the whip in your hand;
While love makes
Your tearful eyes to bleed.”
The Lord Christ loved His disciples, but He sometimes rebuked them.
He loved His own who were in the world to the end (Jn 13:1), but when Peter wanted to prevent Him from crucifixion, He said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me.” (Mt 16 : 23) In the same way He rebuked His two disciples when they said, “Do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them ..?” (Lk 9:54,55)
At home, the parents may divide love and firmness among themselves so as the mother takes love, and the father firmness! It is strange indeed for both ought to have both qualities. This may make the children confused. Likewise love alone may lead to indifference regarding God’s commandment or what is right, and the result will be awful.
Meekness & Courage
The Lord was very meek and humble (Mt 11:29), but was very powerful and brave. He opposed the scribes and Pharisees and revealed their hypocrisy, and opposed the Sadducees and put them to shame, and rebuked the elders.
David the Prophet was meek, but brave.
He stood against the valiant Goliath and defeated him while the army were afraid (1 Sam 17).
Moses the Prophet likewise was meek, brave, and strong.
He was very humble more than all men who were on the face of the earth (Num 12:3). At the same time he was brave and powerful : he was against the whole people when they worshiped the golden calf and rebuked Aaron the high priest, so Aaron was afraid, and Moses burned the calf, ground it to powder, and scattered it on the water
(Ex 32:20)
Abraham the Patriarch was meek and brave.
In his meekness he bowed down before the people of Heth when buying the cave of Machphelah to be a burial place for Sarah
(Gen 23 : 12) However, when he heard that lot his brother was taken captive, he fought against four kings and defeated them and brought back lot and the people of Sadom. And in his self-respect he refused to take the goods (Gen 14:23).
The monks were meek but courageous in defending faith.
It is wrong to say that meekness prevents courage and turns a person to a lifeless body without dignity or energy.
One should rather acquire virtues and put before him the words of the Scripture:
“To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.” (Ecel 3:1)
Meekness should be used when necessary, and courage likewise.
Meekness does not mean weakness, nor power violence.
Both are combined with wisdom, for a weak person cannot be the image and likeness of God, and to be powerful he should not lose his meekness and decency nor fall in rashness.
In order for a good person not to be an object of fun or lose his dignity, his rights, and his respect, he should have wisdom and strong personality; otherwise people will hate goodness.
Every virtue ought to be weighed with a strict balance and not be practiced away from the other virtues. Any negative results are not the outcome of the virtue but of misunderstanding or misusing it, or of lack of wisdom.
To be good does not mean to surrender to the others, to take part in their faults, or to give them excuse in a clear guilt.
Love & fear
We love God, but we should fear Him and give Him all reverence and respect due to His Most Holy Majesty. We should love Him, worship Him, go the church with love and joy, and at the same time say :
“I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy; in fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple.” (Ps 5:7)
We love His Holy Scripture and His commandments and say to Him, “I rejoice at Your word as one who finds great treasure.” (Ps 119 : 162), yet the deacon says before reading the Gospel: “Stand in fear of God and listen to the Holy Gospel.”
We address Him as a Father, in heaven. Love and fear mingle and turn into love and reverence.
Some people in their love to God lose fear and deviate into indifference and lack of respect.
So many are the verses on the fear of God, but if we forget them, He says, “You are mistaken, not knowing the scriptures.” (Mt 22:29) As for the words, “Perfect love casts out fear,” (1 Jn 4:18) they mean terror not awe. So we say : “Grant us to complete this holy day and all the days of our love with all peace, in Your fear.”
Ministry & meditation
Some people, in their concern about ministry, lose care about prayer and meditation on their life and neglect spirituality.
The Lord Christ used to go about all the cities and villages preaching the gospel of the kingdom, but he also spent the whole night in prayer and in seclusion in the Mount of Olive and the garden of Gethsemane.
John the Baptist had his successful ministry by which he prepared the way before the Lord; however, he spent 30 years of his life in the wilderness before appearing in Israel. Elijah the Prophet also had his ministry by which he killed the prophets of Baal and Asherah and rebuked king Ahab. Yet at the same time he had times of seclusion on Mount Carmal
Paul the Apostle had a life of meditation by which he ascended unto the third heaven (2 Cor 12:2), yet he had strong ministry by which he preached in Asia and Europe and wrote 14 Epistles, some of which while in prison.
A perfect person combines both lives in himself; neither ministry at the expense of meditation, not the opposite.
Talk & silence
A person who speaks much may lose the virtues of silence and meditation; and a person who keeps silence may lose the benefit of saying a word of benefit, of comfort, of advice, or of testimony to the truth. But a perfect person knows when to keep silent and when to speak. If he keeps silent, it is for wisdom, and if he speaks, it is for benefit. He does not keep silent when talk is necessary, nor speaks when silence is necessary.
Tears & cheerfulness
A person may try to acquire the virtues of tears, so he keeps crying, giving a distorted image of piety. Tears ought to be when necessary; often before God, in one’s own room, seclusion, or before God’s altar. Yet he appears before people cheerful, so he wins the love of everybody. “Rejoice in the Lord always.” (Phil 4:4) Yet, “By a sad countenance the heart is made better.” (Eccl 7:3).
Mercy & Justice
Both virtues appeared on the cross, where the Lord was just and merciful. In His justice He paid the wages of death, and in His mercy He had compassion on humanity and died for them.
His mercy is full of justice, and His justice full of mercy.