Persecution of the Name is rife in an age of nihilism, although the Name extinguishes fear and hallows the persecuted. Elders take heart when the Name is hallowed, enthroning saints in glory, crowning them with wisdom. The Name searches minds and hearts, revealing grace from beginning to end and from first to last. Suffering for God’s Name is often excruciating, severing soul from Spirit, purifying the heart in uncreated light, revealing uncreated glory. The Name blesses the persecuted who abide in its glory, unveiling heaven on earth with infinite peace. The bread of life nourishes those who turn and see, revealing the bread of presence turning water into wine. The light of the world opens the gates of heaven, healing paralysis and feeding spiritual hunger. The blind see when heaven opens the eye of the heart and oceans of chaos are stilled. The shepherd of wisdom gathers seers into realms of resurrection as they ascend from light to glory, opening the way of the Name to saints through wisdom.
Glorification blesses the persecuted in wondrous ways, restoring glory to God with ineffable wisdom. By exposing confusion and healing division, the Name reveals God, awakening wisdom to glory. Holy Orthodoxy breathes in this open air, curing shallow and narrow extremes, embracing warring worlds with great peace. Holy Hesychasm abides in the wisdom of stillness beyond partisan extremes, preferring gentle humour to frenzied opinion. It is no surprise to find the Name persecuted in times of strain and stress, because its depths transcend conventional belief. When wisdom awakens, fear is cured, freeing the Name from narrow opinion. Orthodoxy is glorification, not vainglorious pride, uncovering glory in humility. The shepherd of wisdom sees beyond warring opinions into ineffable peace, bearing witness, in the Spirit, to the man of sorrows who is acquainted with grief.
Wisdom heals wounds of persecution by hallowing the Holy Name, uncovering glorification which gives Orthodoxy its name. Great blessing undoes the curse that condemns enemies, communicating love of enemies among spiritual friends. Saint Silouan the Hesychast lived and loved the grace of the Name, bearing witness to the glory of grace with every breath. Encountering Staretz Sophrony, over half a century ago, transformed a life-time, revealing glory freed of vanity beyond warring extremes. Death eventually came to him, as it comes to us all, but in Christ it was death overcoming death through death when turning turns and seeing sees. Persecution of the Name spawns extremist opinions but extremes wither away when peace dawns, healing wounds of persecution. Glory cures vainglory with wisdom, unveiling the Gospel of Peace.