Every human thought, every human word, is energy, a force. And if this is true where human thought and speech are concerned, how much more so is it with the Divine word, the word of Christ.

When we hear Christ’s Gospel sayings, so fragrant, so gentle and sweet – ‘Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God’ or ‘This is my commandment, that ye love one another’ or ‘Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart’ – let us not forget that this tender word of Christ is that inconceivable, infinite force that summoned from the darkness of non-existence into the light of life all that exists, the countless number of worlds, all the incalculable diversity of reasonable and non-reasonable beings.

Christ’s word, humbly expressed in the easily acceptable terms of human language that can even be put into writing – this word is, in its essence, the energy of the All powerful God and Creator of all things. It must be said of it the same thing as the Scriputres say of God Himself – that it is a ‘consuming fire’, to be approached with fear and trembling.

‘Thy word has been very fully tried with fire.’

Christ’s word is the most mysterious of words. It is inaccessible, incomprehensible even to the greatest minds, while at the same time so simple and clear as to come within the grasp of little children.

These are words written by the Elder Sophrony, and should be taken to heart. Imagine the power of the words we will speak to one another this weekend throughout Orthodox churches, “Forgive me – God forgives.” We say something the demons will never say. We speak words that God himself has spoken, “I forgive you,” and by His grace, with the same liberating power. Let us forgive one another by the resurrection!