Have Peace in Your Heart
"Someone who has actually tasted truth is not
contentious for truth.
"Someone who is considered among men to be zealous
for truth has not yet learnt what truth is really like: once he has truly
learned it, he will cease from zealousness on its behalf.
"The gift
of God and of knowledge of him is not a cause for turmoil or clamour; rather
this gift is entirely filled with a peace in which the Spirit, love and
humility reside.
"The following is a sign of the coming of the Spirit:
the person whom the Spirit has overshadowed is made perfect in these very
virtues.
"God is reality. The person whose mind has become aware of God
does not even possess a tongue with which to speak, but God resides in his
heart in great serenity. He experiences no stirring of zeal or
argumentativeness, nor is he stirred by anger. He cannot even be aroused
concerning the faith."
Against Zeal
"A zealous person never achieves peace of mind. And he who is deprived of
peace is deprived of joy.
"If, as is said, peace of mind is perfect
health, and zeal is opposed to peace, then a person stirred by zeal is ill
with a grievous sickness.
"While you presume to stir up your zeal against
the sickness of others, you will have banished health from your own soul.
You should rather concern yourself with your own healing. But if you with to
heal those that are sick, know that the sick have greater need of loving
care than of rebukes.
"Zeal is not reckoned among mankind as a form of
wisdom; rather it is one of the sicknesses of the soul, arising from
narrow-mindedness and deep ignorance.
"The beginning of divine wisdom
is the serentiy acquired from generosity of soul and forbearance with human
infirmities.
"For he says, ‘You who are strong should bear the
infirmities of the weak,’ (Rom. 15:1) and ‘Put right the transgressor with a
humble spirit.’ (Gal. 6:1) The Apostle numbers peace and long-suffering
among the fruits of the Holy Spirit."