A strong relationship with Christ cannot be hidden. It manifests itself in how we treat those around us. The Lord said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). Love for Christ is not an isolated, internal affair. It flows outward. A man who claims closeness to Christ yet carries grudges, resentment, or indifference towards others is self-deceived. The Apostle John writes without ambiguity, “Those who say, ‘I love God,’ and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars” (1 John 4:20). It is impossible to love the Head while scorning His Body.
When our hearts are joined to Christ in prayer, in the keeping of His commandments, and in humility, the grace of the Holy Spirit teaches us to see our neighbour not as a hindrance to our spiritual life, but as a necessary part of it. We begin to see in every person a soul created in the image of God, wounded by sin as we are, and in need of the same mercy we have received. The closer one draws to Christ, the more clearly one sees others not through the lens of pride, but with the eyes of compassion. Our Saviour did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life for all. He bore the weaknesses of others, and so must we. “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). The life in Christ is not a solitary ascent into the clouds, but a descent into service, humility, and communion with others.
There is no genuine union with Christ without a genuine care for His brethren. The one who communes with Christ in the chalice but ignores his brother in need is not abiding in the light but in darkness. The Lord made it clear when He said: “Whatever you did to one of the least of these… you did to me” (Matthew 25:40). The measure of our love for Christ is the measure of our love for those He loves—especially the poor, the sick, the lonely, and the sinful. As Christ took on our burdens, so must we take on the burdens of others, not out of compulsion but out of love. This is not an optional spiritual discipline but the very heart of Christian life. We are not saved alone, and we will not be judged alone. We are judged by how we treat those around us.
The Christian life is not a private escape to heaven, but a shared pilgrimage. We journey not as individuals competing for holiness, but as fellow labourers and fellow sufferers. Our sanctity is tested in the daily grind of patience, forgiveness, and charity. Our progress is not measured by how high we soar in contemplation, but by how low we are willing to stoop in service. When a brother falls, we do not trample him with pious rebukes, but lift him with the same mercy Christ showed us. If we cannot walk in charity with our brother, we are not walking with Christ. Any spirituality that isolates us from others or inflates us with pride is not of God. The road to the Kingdom is wide enough only for those who carry each other.
A great many fall into delusion because they measure their spiritual life by unstable emotions, dramatic experiences, or withdrawal from others, while neglecting the Gospel’s plain and unchanging command: “love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12). True spirituality does not consist in feelings, visions, or the number of hours spent in seclusion, but in obedience to Christ and love for His flock. The devil does not care how long you pray, so long as your heart remains cold. He will allow tears in solitude, so long as you refuse to forgive. He does not tremble at visions; he trembles at repentance and mercy. The desert fathers were clear in their warnings. Saint Anthony the Great said that the time would come when the insane would rise up against the sane and declare them mad, because they did not resemble the madness of the world. That madness includes false spiritualism — pride cloaked in piety, self-will disguised as holiness. Saint John Climacus, whose Ladder of Divine Ascent remains unmatched in clarity, taught that the true measure of one’s love for God is not ecstasies in prayer, but enduring one’s neighbour without anger or contempt. If you cannot bear the faults of others, your heart is not yet grounded in Christ. Patience with the brethren is harder than any fast.
If our faith does not lead us to peace, mercy, and honesty with others, it is not the faith of the Apostles. It is a delusion. It is easy to construct a false Christ within the mind—one who makes no demands and requires no charity. But the real Christ demands the crucifixion of the old man, which includes our pride, our grudges, and our hypocrisy. The Holy Mysteries—Baptism, Confession, the Eucharist—do not nurture pride or animosity. They confront and burn them out like fire. If a man approaches the chalice with hatred in his heart, he defiles the very Body and Blood he claims to honour. As Saint Paul warns the Corinthians, “All who eat and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink judgment against themselves” (1 Corinthians 11:29). This is not a symbolic statement. It is a warning grounded in spiritual reality. One cannot claim to partake of Christ while refusing to live in His likeness. The Eucharist is not a talisman. It is a judgment upon the soul—either unto salvation or unto condemnation. If a man comes with humility and a forgiving heart, he is healed. But if he comes while nurturing bitterness, slander, or division, he partakes unworthily. His lips touch grace, but his soul remains in darkness. This is the great danger of a spiritual life divorced from love.
Christ did not teach us to seek Him as individuals detached from His Church, for He Himself established the Church as His Body, not a collection of isolated souls. He did not leave behind a book or a private set of meditations, but a visible, living community united by faith, sacraments, and obedience. “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:20). This verse is often misused to justify private religion, but its context is ecclesiastical—it speaks of binding and loosing, of brotherhood, of accountability, and of communal prayer. Christ is found in the midst of His people, not outside them.
To be in communion with Christ is to be in communion with His saints—both those triumphant and those still struggling. There is no such thing as Christ without His Church. The Church is not an optional support group for the religious; it is the ark of salvation, the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, and the household of faith. To claim union with Christ while remaining indifferent or hostile to His people is to believe in a fantasy. “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’” (1 Corinthians 12:21). We are joined to Christ by baptism, confession, communion, and the life of love within His body. No one climbs to Christ over the backs of others. We ascend together, or not at all. Love of God without love of neighbour is counterfeit. It is a lie, plain and simple. Saint John says, “The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also” (1 John 4:21). Not should. Must. There is no bypass around the Cross to reach the Resurrection. If you want to stand with Christ, you must stand with His Church. If you want to be forgiven, you must forgive. If you want mercy, you must be merciful. Forgiveness and charity are not high-level ascetical achievements; they are the ground floor of Christian life. Without them, everything else is fraud.
A strong relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ will always express itself in charity, forgiveness, and unity with others. These are the fruits that prove the tree is alive. Saint Paul describes the fruit of the Spirit as “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22–23). These are not decorations; they are signs of real life in God. This is not optional. It is the visible mark of belonging to Christ. If you lack these things, your relationship with Christ is either sick or non-existent. Do not be deceived. Do not chase feelings and mystical thrills. Seek Christ where He has promised to be—in His Body, in His commandments, and in the love of your neighbour. There and only there will you find Him.
May God bless you +
Fr. Charles
29 April 2025
Radonitsa
