He looked far away, as if looking forward to the horizon, before attentively saying: “Is the good found among people?!” “Are kindness and humanity found?!” Yes, we desperately need to restore our confidence that humanity is still alive within us – let me say – especially within our consciences that accompany us through the journey of life. But I wonder: Why do humanity levels vary from one person to another?!
I answered: I think, my friend, that humanity is closely related to the love that man bears in his depths, the love derived from God, featured by purity and cleanness, which elevates man, believing that he is the crown of creation made by God, assuring that true happiness is linked to the happiness of all humanity. The world is in a great orbit, heading towards eternity through the journey of life, where every man has his own existence, work and mission which is a part of all, enabling everyone to live happily, safely and peacefully via cooperation and joint action. Conflicts will only bring us more misery and failure. As I said earlier: Evil is trying to cast a robe of illusion over the world in order to convince all those who live in it with deceptive principles leading to everyone destructing others to get rid of their presence as the reason for happiness lacking! One may think he will be in a better state if others leave! In essence, it is quite different from this narrow view of those who believe in its validity.
He said: Maybe they are right?! I answered: I do not think so! I remember the story of that worshipper who lived next to some brothers, he was quick tempered, thinking that the actions of people around him is the reason of his anger, and that if he lived alone away from others, he would become more peaceful, cheerful and quiet. One day, he decided to leave, going far away from everyone, and took nothing with him except a water pot to drink from- Olla. After a long travelling journey, he found a remote inhabited room fit for him to live in alone. He began to prepare the room and began a new phase of his life journey, as he thought, and placed the olla at the door of the room. A little while later, a wind blew up, and the olla fell causing a noise that annoyed the man, he quickly lifted it up and put it in its place.
Soon the wind blew up again and the olla fell again, causing loud a loud noise as well, that he rose and put it back again. Then it quickly fell for a third time! Here the man angrily rebuked the olla saying: “You also are a reason of my annoyance and anger provoking!” He held it tightly and smashed it! At that moment, the man realized that the anger he was suffering from is not caused by others but by his depths turbulent like a raging sea, which lacks learning calmness and tranquility.
Let me pause a little, and wonder: How many times has one thought that his affairs would turn to greater success or happiness when someone leaves him, trying by all means to exclude him, and he succeeds in that. However, he then discovers that he has been greatly mistaken and that his happiness has not yet been attained?!
General Bishop
Head of Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center
