And all of you there are fools!?”. The reader began to defend the opposite opinion, accusing me of inadequacy and detachment from “reality,” citing facts of evil in the world, which I supposedly do not know about: wars, gulags, concentration camps with all the evil, sorrow, pain, tears, and so on, and so forth… and the conclusions, which the reader makes, “brilliant”: happiness does not exist and cannot exist, and another, in his opinion, significant argument – that he is unhappy and does not feel happiness (and at the same time considers himself a Christian, somewhat believing…). To such an inadequate reaction, I can only shrug and shake my head. Although more than enough arguments were presented, the reader turned out to be a fly – he read himself, not heard the author, but let’s say something else. Christians are not fools detached from reality – they are beings who scream from the pain of their neighbor (this literally means to be merciful, to have mercy; “Be merciful, as your Heavenly Father is”11, and God’s mercy was shown to us in the Son, who screamed on the Cross “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me” from our pain, died our death, being passionless and immortal, but out of mercy became solidary with us in everything except sin, shared our fate to the end!) and the whole world and are in continuous (“Rejoice always!”), Paschal joy12. And the fact that pain and joy are compatible phenomena (do not contradict each other, but can coexist) – is obvious! For example, Jesus Christ suffered torments on the Cross, or in the praetorium, when he endured mockery and beating from the soldiers – he always rejoiced, because he was God! Apostle Paul – suffered sorrows, pain, wounds, and commanded (what he himself knew, what he recognized): always rejoice, give thanks for everything! Can Jesus Christ be accused of inadequacy, unknowing (= sin): He knows that there will be wars, plagues, tears, pain… and at the same time says that the joy of the disciples will be full at that time when evil will swarm around! Did the Lord send inhumans to preach the Gospel, who are indifferent to the suffering world (and they in the flesh) – they just rejoice?! By the way, one of the last reasons for the killing of Christians was that they were always joyful, did good to everyone, and were not afraid of death, and all this against the background of a desperate atmosphere of despair, skepticism, hopelessness, and fear of death! Did Jesus Christ know something, did the apostles know something that the world does not suspect and does not realize (which never occurred to the fleshly, not enlightened by the Holy Spirit person, what the fleshly eye has not seen and the ear has not heard)! What did (and now know) Christians know? – About what we tried to say in the previous chapters with our feeble language!
Thus, the key to understanding the unceasing full joy (Happiness) of Christians against the background of world evil, suffering, pain lies in the command (principle): give thanks for EVERYTHING (highlighted – V.A.)! Only one who has recognized the Truth and in the Holy Spirit has recognized the mystery of God’s providence, understands and knows the necessity of sufferings, trials, sorrows (“It is impossible not to come to temptations, sorrows”)! As a mother sympathizes with her child, whom the doctor is operating on or treating teeth – causes pain (by pain overcame pain – see Ch. I), but simultaneously rejoices that the child will be healthy.
Similarly, Christians, who know God-Love (and our salvation accomplished in Christ), Who only does good for the healing of the hypostasis (nature is already healed!). Science is not without a book! When the teacher “punishes” – pity, of course, for disobedience, but you know it’s for his benefit…
Christians live all humanity as themselves: all humanity’s sorrow is their sorrow, all joys are their joys (they cry with those who cry and simultaneously rejoice with those who rejoice)! This is Happiness – to embrace in Divine Love all reality as it is, not as I egoistically want to see it! This can be somewhat understood by the mind when we start to think in terms of hypostatic being, that is, hear the Gospel, the Revelation about Personality, Hypostasis, because in natural, substantial categories this antinomy of suffering and happiness does not resolve for the mind (rationally)!
And we undertake to judge the Gospel with our fleshly mind, and even, referring to our life experience (I do not see, I do not know, I do not feel – therefore this cannot be!?), categorically deny the possibility of Happiness and everything that the Church proclaims; at a time when we do not even want to let one, the dearest person (husband or wife) into our heart – and this means to accept and live her sorrow as our own, similarly joy… If you have not experienced something, do not know for sure – never say that such does not exist and cannot be, or, what’s worse, do not start to blaspheme. But say sincerely: I do not know, but I have heard such thoughts, reviews, or: I think so about something, it seems to me… – and listen to what you are saying (your uncertainty and indefiniteness; your egoistic, sinful subjectivity, not objectivity), it will make you unbiased and capable of hearing the Gospel!