THE HEAVENLY ROAD AND THE HIGHWAY
Originally printed in “Orthodox Life”, Nov.-Dec. 1961
He who often has occasion to travel on the Expressway or Highway here in America is always amazed at the mind of man which taught him to construct them so beautifully and provide with all the necessaries.
All these indications, signs and signals on the way and on automobiles, and all the rules of driving, like a harmonious chorus teach the man behind the wheel- what to do and what to avoid.
They teach people not to cripple themselves and others, and to avoid suicide and the killing of their fellow men among who may find themselves innocent babies unable to distinguish the right hand from the left.
Look, how beautifully everything is organized and foreseen: if you wish to turn the automobile to the right or left, there is a special signal -bright, noiseless and voiceless, but as though crying out: “attention, attention, attention,” or “look with both eyes, look with both eyes,” and clearly twinkling forward and backward.
If you wish to drive to the right or the left side, likewise for this you have set indications.
If you need to turn into another highway or ride off it to a certain city, then, in advance and several times, large and bright signs warn you not to go the wrong way, in order not to lose time.
There are signals when to stop, when to go ahead, what to do when crossing the highway or the railroad track, what to do in school zones and near children’s busses and so on. All these indications, signs, signals, rules, one may say, wrap up the driver in the
machine from head to foot, like a loving and caring mother her child.
It is not enough that all this is to be found on the roads and in books, but those who wish
to drive a machine and transport themselves or others, all this is strictly required to be learned well and hold this in mind.
As is said in the instructive booklet, he who does not know all those rules well becomes a potential killer.
All this is made and foreseen for our convenience, our health, and for the preservation of our temporal life on earth.
But there is another special road, if one may so call it “The heavenly road” on which there are no automobiles, but which is destined for our immortal souls.
It is the road of man’s soul to God. The road to heaven...the way from earth to heaven...
Whether we wish it or not in the past, whether we wish now or do not wish, yet all are on that road -the road which leads us to eternity.
There is a proverb that “time flies with the speed of an arrow” - the same can be said about our life, and we are quickly approaching the moment when our soul will hear the voice of the angel: “Soul, leave your body”...A new life is awaiting us, and entirely new world, the world of spirits and - eternity.
If our little organism until our new birth grew, perfecting all the organs of the body for the coming life on earth, then, surely, we should also be solicitous now, here on earth, about the
development and perfection of our “organs of the soul”, i.e. our spiritual faculties, for our new existence - for life eternal.
But let us return to our first thought: “The heavenly road”, “The way from earth to heaven.”
If people have been able to build and construct such beautiful highways with a multitude of indications, signals and rules, necessary for the travellers, then, surely, there are also rules and laws necessary for the spiritual way - the way of men’s souls to God.
Of this Our Father in heaven has taken care of, and all these rules are contained in one small Book which has been translated into several hundred languages. This Book is called “The New Testament of our Lord Jesus Christ,” or in other words “The New Gospel.”
The Holy Spirit wrote it with the fingers of the Evangelists - the disciples of Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself in the Gospel according to St. John says about these rules, calling them His commandments, so :He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him” (John 14:21).
What joy! What promise! What impulse for receiving the energy to live piously!
To whom did the Lord manifest Himself? To all of us without exception. He manifests Himself, full of Love and most Merciful, with HIs countless gifts. He gives us life, mind, health. He commands the sun to shine and warm us and help the fruits and crops to grow. He sends timely rains and the salubrious world to serve man constantly.
And to those who seek Him and endeavor to live piously He grants spiritual gifts for their hearts: faith, hope and live, and others (see Gal. 5:22-23).
While those who especially zealously and with great love have labored for Him, He manifests Himself even personally, as we know from the Word of God and from the lives of saints (see Acts 7:55, 22:18, 23:11 and so forth).
What does this holy Book say to us and what rules does it offer for our way to heaven? “Eye hath not seen,” says the apostle Paul, “nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him” (1Cor. 2:9) - for the fulfillment of the rules to be found in that Book.
About each commandment (rule) from that Book one can speak and write without end, and, therefore, we will take as an example only one rule:
In the Gospel according to St. Luke chapter 4 verse 31 is said: “As ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise”...or in the Acts of the Apostles chapter 15 verse 39 about the same in other words: “do not do unto others what ye wish not for yourselves.”...The same is also mentioned in the Gospel according to St. Matthew chapter 7, where the Savior Himself says about this rule as follows: “for this is the law and the prophets.” This means that all that was said by the prophets and all that is written in the Law of God is succinctly contained in this little rule.
Here all further commentaries and explanations are superfluous, since all is clear and comprehensive to everyone. Everyone knows what he wishes for himself, or, on the other hand, how he wishes others to treat him.
Who will live by this rule will do the works of love and this will teach him all the rest that is necessary for salvation.
If all people would live guided only by this one rule then already here on earth would be the beginning of paradise, i.e. the beginning of eternal blessedness (see the letter of St. Dionysius the Arepagite about his visit to the Mother of God).
For the disobeying of the rules of terrestrial highways there follow mutilation, sickness and often death. For disobeying the rules of the way leading us to eternity and to God there await us wounds of the soul (see Romans 1:28-32), spiritual death and eternal suffering, the foretasting of which also begins already here on earth.
For attention and love to the commandments of the way to heaven and their careful fulfillment, the Lord rewards already here on earth with spiritual gifts and with a foretaste of eternal blessedness, and in the future life grants endless joy...
Just as all creations of God remind us of the Creator, of His wisdom and love towards us, so let the automobiles of which there is a multitude and which sometimes surround us, likewise, remind us about the Way to heaven, to which calls us our most loving Father Who is in heaven...
“Hurry to do good,” say the Holy Fathers. Hurry to learn the rules of this Heavenly Book - while it is yet not too late, for He Who promised is true: “Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hat, that no man take thy crown” (Rev. 3:11).
For “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power” unto the ages of ages (Rev. 4:11).
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