They asked an Elder what the difference is between slander and condemnation, and the Elder replied: 'Slander is described as one of the idioms of the soul – for example, when you say “so-and-so is a good person, but is stubborn or indiscreet”. As for condemnation, it is said in regard to deeds – for example, when you say, “that person has committed fraud or has stolen.' And of course it goes without saying, that condemnation is worse than slander.'

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* An Elder had said: If you happen to speak badly about a brother and your conscience bothers you, go and prostrate yourself before them and say: “I have accused you”. And guard yourself from then on to not be fooled into that habit again, for it is the death of the soul.

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* If a brother speaks badly of a brother in front of you, take care you don’t get carried away and say “yes, that's how it is”; either remain silent, or say to him: “I, brother, am already damned and cannot therefore judge another person.” That way, both you and they will be saved.

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* Let us, my brethren, avoid whispering, lest it deprive us of Paradise and cast us into fiery hell, because the serpent had whispered and had Eve cast out of Paradise.

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* There is no slander that is done out of an uprightness of heart; because it is not necessary to demolish your own house in order to build another's.

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* An Elder said: “Just as he who accepts fire in his bosom will inevitably not avoid being burned by it, likewise whoever accepts associations with many, will inevitably not avoid being slandered.'

(Excerpt from the book of Elders, the “Gerontikon”).

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* Condemnation is born of pride, so, only the one who does not condemn others is humble.

* We must never condemn our fellow man, lest we make God our accuser. We must regard everyone else better than us, and only ourselves a sinner. Condemnation is not only enacted with words, but also with the mind (nous) and the inner disposition of the heart. We must restrain ourselves in our judgments, lest we end up condemning. The best thing of all is to get used to criticizing ourselves and stop concerning ourselves with others (Fr. Paisios).

* Annoyance and condemnation are passions that we will struggle with throughout our entire life.

* The person who trusts in the suggestion of the wily one to be suspicious is dominated by the devil. Whenever the devil shows us the shortcomings and weaknesses of others and pushes us to condemnations, we should remind ourselves that we are worse than the others.

* “If the one who calls his brother a fool is worthy of the ultimate punishment of Hell” -says Saint John Chrysostom- “when he accuses him of being a criminal and a tormentor and base and vainglorious and a thousand other, similar accusations, oh, how much hellish fire will he be accumulating upon himself!”

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Let us learn to judge others with leniency. It is also a mirror that reveals to others the truth about our own person.

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Let us not forget that tax collectors and prostitutes have repented and been saved, while the Scribes and Pharisees, who condemned them, have not been saved. We have not been entrusted by anyone with the role of a judge - which belongs exclusively to our God-man and Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who will judge us all according to our deeds at His Second Glorious Coming. For this reason, we should not predetermine what the eternal future of any of our fellow human beings will be, but instead, ensure that we be cautious and strict judges with ourselves and lenient with others.

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It is only with our own, holy and luminous example, with kind words and convincing manner that it can be possible for us to help our well-intentioned fellow man, and never with bad words and theatrics.

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Instead of concerning ourselves with the vices of others, it is preferable that we strive try to discover their virtues - which are usually latent. Let’s pick out the precious gems of virtues that we discern in our fellow human beings, and not be scavengers of their vices from within the garbage can of human misery. Let's emulate the bees, which prefer to visit fragrant flowers, and not the flies, which feel at ease when in filth.

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Basil the Great emphasizes the following noteworthy things: People who constantly seek to deal with the rotten, the evil, the sin of mankind, resemble the vultures that will fly over many meadows and many beautiful and fragrant areas,  hurrying only towards stinking corpses.

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When thinking of judging our fellow man, we should bring to mind wise Socrates’ three “sieves”, that is, to first check whether what we are going to say is (1) true, (2) necessary and (3) beneficial. Otherwise, let us remain silent, praying for God’s mercy on us, because if He does notice our sins, who can claim he will be acquitted? Nobody.

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Let us also not forget the “all things” mentioned by the Apostle Paul: “Love shelters all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things; love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:7-8).

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Like the archaeologists who are engaged in the restoration of old ruins in order to restore them to their original form, let us thus try - with our good, Christian, virtuous way life and our good words - to resurrect and restore the human ruins that exist around us. Let's not copy the tactics of cartoonists, who exaggerate something to satirize it, but  rather, imitate the nobility of the painter, who corrects something to render it beautiful.

* Just as salt is necessary for bread, so is love among the virtues. Without it, one cannot properly actualize virtues, given that every virtue is verified by love and humility.

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Humility, on the one hand, raises its possessor to heights of achievements. And love, on the other hand, holds him tightly and doesn't let him fall from there... Let us therefore strive, my beloved, according to our strength, to achieve it, lest we be captured by our enemies (Saint Efthymios).

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* Our life and death are dependent on our neighbor. Because, if we gain the brother, we gain God. And if we scandalize the brother, we sin against Christ (Saint Anthony the Great).

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* When one begins to feel the love of God intensely within one's soul, at the same time they will have begun to love their neighbor in the spiritual sense.

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* No one can love or believe sincerely if he has his conscience as his accuser, Saint Diadochos of Photiki assures us.

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* It is impossible for anyone who has an impassioned inclination towards anything earthly to attain a constant love (for God).

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* If one has all the gifts of the Spirit, but has no love and is therefore not benefited - according to the divine Apostle Paul - how much diligence must he show in order to acquire it, Saint Maximus the Confessor tells us.

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“Do not neglect your brethren, but let each one of you study to seize your neighbor away from the throat of the devil”, Saint Chrysostom preaches to us.

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* When we fail to love God and our neighbor, it is in vain to act modest about fasting and vigils and poverty and reading the Scriptures, Abba Cassian teaches us.

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* And Saint John of the Ladder assures us that, if love is lacking in man, if he does not love God and his Christian brother, then faith and hope are of no use...

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* “A believer's love for God is incorrect, when it is the same as their love for their neighbor, inasmuch as that equates the Creator with the creation. Love for God is correct, when the Creator is loved and honored above all creation” - Saint Demetrius of Rostov teaches us.






Translation A.N.