"This small world, the big one..."
(Odysseas Elytis, Is It Worthy…)
Instead of a prologue.
An imaginative... but absolutely realistic 'scenario': a desperate cry of mental despair... of a 'grain of stardust', searching within the universal 'framework' of billions of galaxies, to find the EGO...!
The world of humans: a 'giant' incomparable in the small-world of cells… and again the same, an invisible 'dwarf' in the large-world of galaxies…! Man: a rational, godlike creature… but weak and stillborn, lost in the vastness of the universe, 'crying' towards infinity… [ 1 ] expecting responses! And from the other end of infinity… the God-man Christ: a "Word of all-craft" [ 2 ], all-wise Mind, all-good Father, almighty God… who created and sustains the Universe, [ 3 ] listens with sympathy… and responds with condescension to the selfish exasperation of His creature, who has long since lost vital contact and communion with Him… as the "Source of life"!
“Do you know who I am… heeeee?!” man is heard shouting, with a boast of selfish self-confidence, turned towards the universal chaos. And from ‘everywhere’ within the macro-cosmic abyss, God is heard answering with a gentle and humble voice [ 4 ], of Fatherly Love: “Yes, my child, I know… because I created you: you are My beloved creature…! But, while I forged you “in My image and likeness”, so that you may become -if you wish- by Grace a god… with the exalting Humility, you -My poor creation!- arrogantly choose to be enslaved to your homicidal enemy… following him, together with his miserable gang, into eternal darkness…”!
The Philosopher Aristotle (384 – 322 BC) gave us the… most intelligent definition of intelligence: “Intelligence is the speed of adaptation”! (the speed with which we adapt to the reality that surrounds us!). In this sense, the Saints of the Orthodox East are the most intelligent beings who have passed through this temporary world, because… they ‘adapted rapidly’ to the realism of the surrounding futility! They immediately understood that, as humans, we are stillborn… imperfect… weak… limited… and they hastened to ‘connect’ with the “Source of life”… of immortality… of perfection… of omnipotence… of freedom: our God and Creator!
They realized without delay (some 'from the womb', others from their 'birth bands', and others from their first or later steps in life...) that, before anything else, they had to: begin their struggle for the cultivation of the divine Virtues with the Virtue of Humility! Thus, they began their climb to the "unimaginable heights" of the remaining Virtues, from this initial and stable base of the most fundamental Virtue...! They did not indulge in "works of this age" and did not 'build' on shaky foundations of self-confidence... self-reliance... and self-sufficiency...! On the contrary, they aimed at every divine Virtue... stepping steadily on the 'godlike' Humility, which made them 'sons of God' and 'gods' by Grace! [ 5 ]
Having been enlightened by God, our Holy Fathers and Mothers, in order to build their godly life on the basic Virtue of Humility, urge us, the ignorant, to act similarly… [ 6 ] For, in this way, our spiritual path and development is secured - with God - from potential falls into cliffs and abysses of arrogance… and, because of it, from every other murderous trap of impure spirits! Because what, more than anything else, pleases and comforts our humble God, lovingly drawing Him [ 7 ] to the God-loving souls of His good children, is their humble self-consciousness… with which they adorn, together with all the other godly Virtues, their Christ-worshipping souls!
One of the favorite 'sports' of the Saints, in the context of their struggle for complete "identification" with their humble Archetype (Christ), is to constantly crush, with humility, demonic arrogance and to pulverize Luciferian egoism! Because this primordial great passion has mortally offended our nature... and continues to torture it until now, with Satanic malice and cunning! Starting, therefore, from their experience, the Saints of Christ teach us that: this foundation of the Virtues, Humility, can be achieved easily and quickly - with the Grace of God - if we learn to compare our insignificance (of the 'descriptible' dimensions of man) to the greatness of God... which is easily 'detectable' in the universal Creation!
The human mind is endowed by the Creator with a natural inquisitiveness, and it eagerly rushes to explore whatever attracts it cognitively! However, it displays a… sluggishness in seeking to learn its true 'place' within the vastness of the universe! Evil spirits try to discourage us, in every way, so that we do not dare to climb (or dive, respectively…) mentally, into the 'scales of magnitude' of Creation. Because, our comparison with the sizes of the 'worlds' that surround us (to the micro-world [ 8 ] of cells... to the world [ 9 ] of rational and intelligent animals... to the macro-world [ 10 ] of galaxies..., to the super-world [ 11 ] of the Kingdom of God... and to the under-world [ 12 ] of the forces of darkness...) helps us to see, comparatively, the latent nothingness of the human EGO...!
By studying fundamental 'sizes' of our world (such as space, time, mass, distance, capacity, etc.) and calculating them with units of measurement that correspond to the scope of the sensory experience of this world, we understand that: staying in the intra-cosmic dimensions of these sizes... nothing awakens our indifference, so that we seek our ontological identity within the universe... Consequently, a depiction of 'macro-cosmic' sizes (with a multiplication factor of x 1.000), as well as a depiction of 'micro-cosmic' sizes (with a division factor of : 1.000) can give us the impetus for an exit from our illusory carelessness! Because, the numerical development of scales of +/- infinity, can push us into Humility, because it 'forces' our mind to gaze... towards incomparably larger (or even smaller...) magnitudes, confessing the wisdom and glory of God! [ 13 ]
Living between earth and sky… and being made of soil and spirit… we measure terrestrial and material quantities with units of measurement, such as a) the m/meter [ 14 ] for calculating distances, b) the g/gram [ 15 ] for weighing masses, c) the sec/second [ 16 ] for calculating time, d) the byte/byte [ 17 ] for measuring digital capacity, e) the AU/astronomical unit [ 18 ] for calculating celestial distances, within our Solar System, f) the Light Year/light year [ 19 ] for measuring greater distances, outside our Solar System…, g) the Parsec/parsec [ 20 ] for calculating enormous distances within the vast universe. Because always, comparison to larger (and smaller) sizes, engages our mind in the 'therapeutic' process of honest self-knowledge..., the fruit of which is the acquisition and consolidation of a humble self-awareness...!
If we do not intelligently understand and humbly accept our sad insignificance (which delimits the world of humans between the micro-world of cells… and the macro-world of galaxies…) we will never 'grow' within ourselves, to perceive the greatness of our ontological value "in the image and likeness of God"! As long as we consciously overlook or unconsciously overlook the 'lilliputian' dimension of our existence, we will always be subject to complex thoughts and complex emotions, and we will be tormented by 'inferiority syndromes' [ 21 ] towards major ontological magnitudes, but also 'superiority syndromes' [ 22 ] towards minor ones! And this 'complex' pathology, which stems from the lack of godlike Humility... will 'block our path' to the theosis, for which we are all destined!
Until our soul is healed, with the holy Humility of Christ, from every complex disadvantage or greed that we feel towards other (rational and non-rational) beings of divine Creation… we will fall, consciously or unconsciously, into serious psycho/pathological behaviors! Whether as 'inferiority syndromes' (…) or as 'superiority syndromes' (…) all this 'behavioral' symptomatology… refers to passions, from which it is necessary to heal! Because, towards the 'inferior' beings that we consider 'inferior' to us… and us 'superior' to them, we behave as… dynastic and torturing 'tyrants'! [ 23 ] And towards the higher beings that we consider 'superior' to us, we behave like sad 'dolphins', trying, with humane [ 24 ] behaviors, to win their favor!...
How can we stand 'spiritually healthy' (without feeling disadvantaged...) in front of major magnitudes, [ 25 ] like those of the macrocosm...?! And even more, how will we learn to behave gently, sweetly, acquiescently (without feeling advantageous...), in front of beings with minor dimensions, like the 'lilliputian' magnitudes of the microcosm...?! Christ with His word and the Holy Fathers with their lives, teach us that: if/when we acquire a mindset of divine humility, we will be able to 'descend' with respectful humility the 'steps' on the scales of microcosm magnitudes...! Furthermore, we will be able to 'climb' bravely and uncomplicatedly all the steps on the scales of macrocosm magnitudes...! Because our relationship with the most humble God presupposes and implies an equally humble 'development' of all His micro/macro-cosmic Creation... in which we have been created to be (without deserving it) the "royal crown"!
This world was created for man. Man, however, was not created for this world! The almighty will of God brought us from the ZERO of non-existence to the BEING of existence, but did not predestinate us for the present perishable world… but for the future indestructible super-world (much 'beyond and above' the long-world)! Destruction and death were nowhere in our 'construction specifications'…! Both arose… when human nature fell from 'erotic devotion' and 'loving obedience' to the all-good Creator! Since then, every human being who comes into existence, carrying the disease of the 'fallen nature' (tendency to passions), is in need of spiritual healing, in order to become healthy-worthy of metastasis to the supra-worldly life of the Heavenly Kingdom!
We come from non-existence to existence and we move towards eternity, passing quickly through this world. Here, we remain… as long as Divine Providence allows, to work in the 'secret vineyard' of our soul, healing our sick nature from sins and passions! But while we are still adjusting to our earthly 'exile'… and, before we have time to enjoy the earthly goods… in which we invested, the oil in our lamp runs out… and we depart for our last and 'irreturnable journey'! We suddenly depart for eternity, empty… of what we loved… and did not have time to rejoice! And then our eyes open, and we realize that life is there… in the supermundane! Here in the mundane it was -simply- life… and it is over! A small 'appetizer' before the 'main course' that follows, at the Royal Supper of eternity. A brief prelude... before the endless concert of real life!
Unfortunately, we come to the present world and begin to obsessively indulge in the illusory 'joys' of the senses... which attract so strongly! We lose our existential orientation, and we misdirect our existential 'thoughts', from the heavenly to the earthly... from the eternal to the ephemeral... from the imperishable to the perishable...! And exhausting our appetite for immortal life, in this mortal life... we lose eternity as a guiding memory! And we 'remember' it again (slowly, now, for life correction...) when biological death comes and we pass (while we are still... unprepared!) to the post-biological afterlife! Our most important journey... 'in the dark', without preparation and without prerequisites...! Without 'travel documents' for entry... and 'immigration legality credentials' for stay... in the Land of the Living! "Where are you going... 're' Karamitros...?"!
Instead of an epilogue.
Once, Saint Dorotheos (Spiritual at the Monastery of Abba Seridus, in Gaza, Palestine), while conversing with a great ruler of Gaza, asked him: – “Your Excellency, how do you consider yourself… when you are in your city…?” – “I consider myself first and most prominent of all the rulers!” – “If you leave Gaza and go to Caesarea (a larger city), how will you consider yourself there…?” – “I will consider myself much inferior… to the local rulers!” – “If you leave and go to Antioch (an even larger city), how will you consider yourself there…?” – “I will think that I am an insignificant peasant…” – “And if you go to Constantinople, in front of the Emperor and among the brightly dressed lords of the palaces, how will you see yourself there…?” – “I will feel indescribable shame… like a very poor beggar…”!
REFERENCES-FOOTNOTES
[ 1 ] “Deep calls to deep…” (Psalm 41:8)
INTERPRETATION: The abyss of my sins and passions… invokes, Lord, the abyss of Your Mercy and Your Fatherly Compassion!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
[ 2 ] This complex epithet "All-Artful Word" with the expressive forcefulness of Saint Cosmas the Poet (from the 9th Ode of the "Katavasions" of Pentecost) is attributed to the God-Man Christ. It emphasizes His Creative and Artistic ingenuity, which is inimitable... and has been imprinted as a seal of authenticity, on the perfection of all His logical and rational creations! Let us enjoy the divinely inspired poetic rendering of the Holy Hymn of our Worship:
"I did not experience corruption, I conceived you, and I lent you flesh to the omniscient Word, Mother of the infinite, Virgin Theotokos. Vessel of the undefiled, village of Your infinite Maker, we magnify You!"
INTERPRETATION: Virgin Theomanna… You, who conceived by the Holy Spirit, and bore the Son of God without experiencing corruption in Your Virginity! You, who lent Your flesh to the Word of the Father and Creator of the universe, so that He might become incarnate and become human! Manna, who did not experience 'the experience of a man'…! Vessel, who contained within You the One whom the universes cannot contain! "Country of the incomprehensible", who contained within You Your infinite Maker, We praise and glorify You…
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
[ 3 ] “All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made…” (John 1:3)!
INTERPRETATION: The universes were created by Him, and without His wisdom and power nothing was made that was created…
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
[ 4 ] “Learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart… and you will find rest for your souls…” (Matt. 11:29)!
INTERPRETATION: Know from Me Myself, that I am Meek and Humble in heart… and you will find perfect mental rest in My Love…!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
[ 5 ] “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him… He came to the world, and they themselves did not receive Him… But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name…” (John 1:10-11)!
INTERPRETATION: He lived in the world that He created… among the people that He created… and no one recognized Him! He came close to His creatures, and His creatures did not welcome Him warmly. However, to those who welcomed Him with worship and believed in His Holy Name, He granted the supreme honor and power to become Children of God…
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
[ 6 ] “Be imitators of me… as I am of Christ…” (1 Corinthians 11:1)!
INTERPRETATION: I urge you to follow me faithfully, in the fight of Faith... just as I faithfully follow our Savior Christ...
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
[ 7 ] “He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me! And he who loves Me… will be loved by My Father, and I will love him… and will manifest Myself to him…” (John 14:21)!
INTERPRETATION: Whoever studies and applies My Commandments, he is the one who truly loves Me! And whoever loves Me… will be loved in return by My Heavenly Father and by Me, and then I will reveal myself to him…
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
[ 8 ] Microcosm: It is the dimension of existence and functioning of all the 'Lilliputian' beings, cells and other micro-organisms, that live and act within or around us... without falling, in a natural way, into the perception of the conventional five senses. Their visualization is possible only under certain special conditions: the use of instruments, such as large magnifying lenses and electronic microscopes. [ 27 ]
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
[ 9 ] World: It is the dimension of existence and functioning of all earthly beings, rational and animal, with man (primarily him, as the dominant rational and "deified animal" within God's visible creation) dominating as king over all the animals of the earth, the air and the sea, which are seen with the naked eye! [ 27 ]
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
[ 10 ] Macrocosm: It is the dimension of existence and harmonious movement of the celestial bodies of our Solar System, but also of our Milky Way, as well as the other billions of galaxies, which do not have living life… nor can they support it. Images from the macrocosm of the universe… we can admire only with the use of specialized telescopes, analog or electronic, and mainly astronomical or radio telescopes… which emit radio signals and visualize images! [ 27 ]
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
[ 11 ] Super-world: It is the dimension of super-worldly existence of the immaterial and spiritual beings of the Heavenly Kingdom, which do not fall within the perception of conventional senses. These, in order to become perceptible… require special spiritual prerequisites, which only a few of the rational living beings (humans) fulfill… and again only with Divine Grace! The basic prerequisite is the harmonization of our life with the Gospel Commandments of Christ, and the creation of conditions for participation in the uncreated Divine Grace, which grants man the special spiritual 'Endoscope' of the soul, with which -only- it is possible to perceive spiritual beings and 'metaphysical' states…! [ 27 ]
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
[ 12 ] Underworld: Although with this compound adjective (under + world = below the world) we define, synecdocheically, the 'fringe' of our society where criminal elements live and act, the term primarily conveys the metaphysical version of criminality! As 'underworld' is defined the metaphysical 'region' of existence of evil and unclean spirits... who 'populate' the kingdom of Hades. A dark kingdom "prepared for the Devil and his Angels" (Matt. 25, 41), which was created by God as a "maximum security prison" to 'imprison' Satan and his criminal gang, along with all those (among humans) who identify with him voluntarily, and follow him slavishly...! [ 27 ]
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
[ 13 ] “The heavens declare the glory of God… and the firmament proclaims the work of His hands…” (Psalm 18:1)
INTERPRETATION: The beauty and harmony of the sky reveal the glorious presence of God in Creation… while the omnipotence of His creative hands is betrayed by the universal immensity…
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
[ 14 ] From the scale of multiples of m/meter, for terrestrial distance measurement needs, we use: a) the Decameter/Dekameter = ten m, b) the Hectometer/Hectometer = one hundred m, and c) the Kilometer/Kilometer = one thousand m. Beyond these three, no other necessity obliges us to expand to the remaining sizes, since these refer to distance measurement needs beyond the earth. Their mention here is made to broaden our field of vision, towards sizes larger than… our conventional life: a) the Megameter = one millionth of a meter, b) the Gigameter = one billionth of a meter, c) the Terameter = one trillionth of a meter, d) the Petameter = four times one millionth of a meter, e) the Exameter = five times one millionth of a meter, f) the Zettameter = six times one millionth of a meter, and g) the Yiotameter = seven times one millionth of a meter!
From the scale of submultiples of the meter: a) Decimeter = tenth of a meter, b) Centimeter = centimeter of a meter, and c) Millimeter = millimeter of a meter, are the only ones that find application in our daily lives! The remaining 'lilliputian' sizes are usable only for the special measurement needs that exist in the micro-world: a) the Micrometer = millionth of a m, b) the Nanometer = billionth of a m, c) the Picometer = trillionth of a m, d) the Femtometer = four millionth of a m, e) the Attometer = five millionth of a m, f) the Zeptometer = six millionth of a m, g) the Yoctometer = seven millionth of a m!
Because all this may be considered meaningless 'theoretical', let's give an example: The diameter of a cell corresponds to approximately 5-20 Micrometers (i.e. one millionth of a m). The human body is made up of… trillions of cells! The average adult man has approximately 36 trillion cells, while the adult woman has 28 trillion cells and a child aged 10-12 has approximately 17 trillion cells! And that is enough to reduce…
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
[ 15 ] From the scale of multiples of g/gram, for the needs of weighing mass, we use: a) Gram/Gram, b) Decagram/Decagram = ten g, c) Hectogram/Hectogram = hundredth g, d) Kilogram/Kilogram = thousand g or kg, e) Megagram/Megagram = millionth g or Tone/ton. The largest sizes: the Gigagram = billionth of a g, the Teragram = trillionth of a g, the Petagram = four millionth of a g, the Exagram = five millionth of a g, the Zettagram = six millionth of a g, and the Yottagram = seven millionth of a g, exist… to teach us humility and respect for the monstrous…!
From the scale of submultiples of g/gram, in our world we use only the first three sizes: Decigram/Decigram = tenth of g, Centigram/Centigram = hundredth of g, and Milligram/Milligram = thousandth of g. From the Microgram = millionth of a g, all other sizes: i.e. the Nanogram = billionth of a g, the Picogram = trillionth of a g, the Femtogram = four millionth of a g, the Attogram = five millionth of a g, the Zeptogram = six millionth of a g, the Yoctogram = seven millionth of a g, all seem... 'invisible' and 'nonexistent', and their usefulness is limited only to 'weighings' of infinitesimal masses of the micro-cosm! However, they also serve another sacred purpose: with their dimensional nothingness, they can inspire in the proud man humility and respect for the insignificant and infinitesimal...
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
[ 16 ] From the scale of multiples of sec/second, for the needs of measuring time in our everyday life in the world, we use: a) the unit: Sec/Second = 1 x 1 sec, b) the unit: Min/Minute = 1 x 60 sec, c) the unit: Hour/Hour = 1 x 60 min x 60 sec, d) the unit Day/Day = 24 hour x 60 min x 60 sec, e) the unit: Month/Month = 30 days x 24 hours x 60 min x 60 sec, f) the unit: Year/Year = 12 months x 30 days x 24 hours x 60 min x 60 sec. While for the needs of measuring time outside planet Earth and outside the Solar System, we use different calculations with more unconventional measures, which are mentioned in footnotes 17, 18, 19.
From the scale of submultiples of Sec/Second, we use only the first three sizes: Decisec/Tenth of a sec = tenth of a sec, Centisec/Hundred of a second = hundredth of a sec, and Millisec/Millisecond = thousandth of a sec. On the contrary, from Microsec/Microsecond = millionth of a sec onwards, all the other sizes: Nanosec/Nanosecond = billionth of a sec, Picosec/Picosecond = trillionth of a sec, Femtosec/Fiftosecond = four millionth of a sec, Attosec/Attosecond = five millionth of a sec, Zeptosec/Zeptosecond = six millionth of a sec, and Yoctοsec/Yoctosecond = seven millionth of a sec, all seem… unreal, and their usefulness is limited only to measurements of infinitesimal duration of 'tasks' of the micro-world! But here too, another holy purpose is served! With their minimality, these 'times' inspire in our arrogant EGO... humility and respect for the 'minimum'!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
[ 17 ] From the scale of multiples of the Bt/Byte unit, for the needs of calculating digital capacity (file storage), we use: a) Byte/Monobit = unit bt, b) Decabyte/Dekabit = ten bt, c) Hectobyte/Ectobit = hundred bt, d) Kilobyte/Kilobit = thousand bt, e) Megabyte/Megabit = million bt, f) Gigabyte/Gigabit = billion bt, g) Terabyte/Terabit = trillion bt, h) Petabyte/Petabit = four million bt, i) Exabyte/Hexabit = five million bt, j) Zettabyte/Zettabit = six times millionth bt, and k) Yottabyte = seven millionth bt.
On the scale of submultiples of the Byte (which is already a very small size in digital technology!), we can see… monstrous (theoretical) submultiples: a) Decibyte = tenth of a bt, b) Centibyte = hundredth of a bt, c) Millibyte = thousandth of a bt, d) Microbyte = millionth of a bt, e) Nanobyte = billionth of a bt, f) Picobyte = trillionth of a bt, g) Femtobyte = four millionth of a bt, h) Attobyte = five millionth of a bt, i) Zeptobyte = six times millionth of a bt, j) the Yoctobyte/Yoctobito = seven millionths of a bt, with most of these terrifying nothingnesses... remaining only theoretical, since there is no way or reason to implement their capacious minimization in a practical way!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
[ 18 ] Astronomical Unit/AU/Astronomical unit. It is approximately equal to the average distance between the Earth and the Sun, i.e. approximately 150 million km, and is calculated by the time (approximately 8,5 minutes) that it takes Sunlight (at a speed of 300.000 km/sec) to reach the Earth. It is mainly used to measure distances 'within' our Solar System.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
[ 19 ] Light Year. The distance that light travels (at a speed of approximately 300.000 km/sec) in one Earth year, and corresponds to approximately… 9,46 trillion km! It should be noted that, there are distances within the supposedly 'vast' -and yet finite!- universe… that correspond to thousands… millions… billions… trillions… of light years!…
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
[ 20 ] Parsec (Parsec). It corresponds to approximately 3,26 light years, i.e. about… 31 trillion km! It is used to measure distances 'outside' our Solar System… but 'inside' our Galactic space. For distances 'outside' our Galactic space, within a universe of billions of Galaxies… other metric units are used…!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
[ 21 ] The 'inferiority syndrome' constitutes a psychopathological disease, which is characteristic of those who have suffered various abuses and have 'developed' (reversely) a zero self-confidence...! It traps the psycho/physically weak, the intellectually mediocre, the physiognomically 'ordinary', the entrepreneurially (creatively) indolent, who cannot, in their supposed misery, discern... where exactly lies the greatest and unparalleled treasure of every human being, which makes his soul more precious than the entire 'world'...! [ 26 ]
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
[ 22 ] The 'superiority syndrome' is one of the psychopathological behaviors that plague not only the societies of rational, but also of animal spirits! As a pathology, it is born and develops as a thought in the minds of the strong, the intelligent, the beautiful and the capable...! It is a 'disease of the soul', which mercilessly torments both the suffering (from egoism) subject... and the unfortunate recipients of his behavioral outbursts! The cure for this 'mental illness', as for all others, lies in the acquisition of Humility (which Christ taught us rationally and practically), which cures every disease of the soul!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
[ 23 ] The psycho/mental background of this pathological behavior (to become, often… or constantly, a small… or large ‘tyrant’ of those who are hierarchically below one’s ‘authority’), is the ‘superiority syndrome’ which - as described in footnote 21 - requires as a cure the acquisition of Humility in Christ! A Virtue, which sweetly transforms, with the Grace of God, man from a hard-hearted and torturing ‘boss’… into a tender-hearted ‘slave’ and supportive colleague and fellow traveler towards the Love of Christ!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
[ 24 ] “For if I were still pleasing men, I would not be a servant of Christ!” (Gal. 1:10)!
INTERPRETATION: If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a Christ-worshipper and a Christ-follower!...
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
[ 25 ] “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities…” (Rom. 13:1)
INTERPRETATION: Every soul that has recognized in the person of Christ the God-Man as its Liberator from all demonic or human slavery... let it submit to the authoritarian hierarchy of this world, because this does not diminish its moral and spiritual freedom, not in the slightest!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
[ 26 ] “What shall a man give in exchange for his soul…?!”
(Matt. 16:26).
INTERPRETATION: What can man give/receive as an equal exchange for his godlike and immortal soul…?!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
[ 27 ] The 'scales of comparison' between world-macrocosm-microcosm concern QUANTITATIVE magnitudes... while the scales of comparison between world-supercosm-underworld concern QUALITATIVE magnitudes... which make the said 'worlds' distant from each other "as far as the east is from the west..." (Psalm 103:12)! But the "BAD Elder... from the Holy Mountain of the GOOD Elders" will deal with these differences in another post.
