Opinion: Christ said 'I am the way, the truth, and the life'
His is the light which unveils mysteries and exposes all the meaning in the Gospel, which has been waiting there like a seed about to sprout.
Then there's the presence of the Kingdom of Heaven, which the Gospel helps reveal, and as newly illumined Christians set out on their spiritual life, and begin - if they're well advised - by doing the good that they know, certain things follow, and they start to grow.
Slowly but surely the nature of Christ's risen life is disclosed to them, enabling them to take part in it, making it real in and for themselves and the world. Thus the Gospel takes root.
As hieromonk Bartholomew wrote "Christ showed us in the flesh the levels humankind can reach..." and "The closer we come to the example of Christ's earthly life in our own lives, the closer we are to reaching our full potential, and to accomplishing our ultimate aim in life."
He doesn't just mean being a better accountant or bricklayer, or giving more money to Oxfam for instance, though these things are important, as we must always remain "earthed" in order to be part of the process of salvation. He also means bringing out that transcendent element, Christ's presence, which is both within and beyond us, which conversion puts us in touch with. The end of it all is its flowering, where Heaven bursts out into time and space and we become the fully realised beings which Christ already is, and wants us to be. No one knows when that bell happen, as the apostle Mark tells us, but it's always "nigh", immanent, waiting.
Spyridon Benyon, Orthodox Church
