FLIES & BEES

 

AS SOME OF YOU will know, at the beginning of the fast, Archbishop Chrysostomos of Etna sent us the following edifying little tale.  He writes:-  A little reading for Great Lent from a contemporary Elder on the Holy Mountain, the Elder Paisios, whose spiritual wisdom, though at times exploited and misrepresented, was notable.  This example of his sagacity is especially important in the Church today.

        WE ONCE ASKED Father Paisios: “Father, you constantly tell us to think positively.  We would like you to give us some advice on how to deal with the following problem:

 

        “People often come to us to tell us that various priests charge a great deal of money for performing the Holy Mysteries.  They claim that they smoke or frequent coffee shops.  They even say that some priests are involved in immoral acts and, in general, make severe accusations against them, presenting evidence to justify these accusations.  What answers can we give to those who accuse the clergy?”

 

The Elder said to us: “I know from experience that in this life people are divided in two categories.  A third category does not exist; people either belong to one or the other.  The first kind of person resembles the fly.  The main characteristic of the fly is that it is attracted to filth.  For example, when a fly finds itself in a garden full of flowers with beautiful fragrances, it will ignore them and land on top of some filth that it finds on the ground.  It will wallow in it, feeling comfortable with the foul smell.  If the fly could talk, and you were to ask it to show you a rose in the garden, it would answer: ‘I have no idea what a rose looks like.  I only know where to find garbage, toilets, and filth.’  There are many people who resemble the fly.  People in this category have learned to think negatively, always looking for the evil things of life, ignoring and rejecting the presence of good.

 

        “People in the other category people are like the bee, the main characteristic of which is to look always for something sweet and pleasant to land on.  When a bee finds itself in a room filled with filth, but where there is a small piece of sweet in a corner, it will ignore the filth and land on top of the sweet.  Now, if we were to ask the bee to show us where the garbage was, it would answer: ‘I do not know.  I can only tell you where to find flowers, sweets, honey, and sugar.’  It only knows the good things in life and is ignorant of all evil.  People in this category think positively and see only the good side of things.  They always essay to cover up evil, in order to protect their fellow man.  Contrarily, people in the first category essay to expose evil and to bring it to the surface.

 

        “When someone comes to me and begins accusing other people, putting me in a difficult situation, I relate to him the foregoing example. Then, I ask him to decide in which category he wishes to belong, so that he might find people of similar kind with whom to associate.

 

Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain  -  Translated from the Greek.

 

 

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