Humility, unity, tolerance, mercy.

Dorotheos of Gaza offers such a simple, straightforward, and clear vision of Christian living – humility, unity, tolerance, mercy. Look at others as better than yourself, to foster and form deep, lasting relationships, putting up with other people’s weaknesses and eccentricities, and be kind, forgiving and merciful wherever, and whenever you can. Simple, but NOT easy.

Pastors often joke that leading the church would be a breeze if it just didn’t have any people. People are messy. People can be selfish. People can be narrow-minded. People can be needy and demanding. People can be cruel, thoughtless, and just plain mean. People hurt each other. People damage each other. In short, people are people. And that is why we need a Savior.

For Dorotheos, understanding that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” laid the groundwork for a lifetime of kind and generous service. He saw no reason to reply in kind to insult or injury. He refused to accuse others, even when they deserved it. He refused to make fun of anyone. He refused to judge or condemn anyone. He dedicated himself to humble service, to making and keeping peace in his fellowship, in tolerating the annoying and irritating habits of his community, and in always giving others the benefit of the doubt with blessing and grace.

As you read the writings of Dorotheos of Gaza, you encounter the implicit question he constantly asked himself, “What good will this do?” What good is anger or insult? What good is judgment and condemnation? What benefit comes from mockery, gossip, or holding a grudge? Who hurts most from lashing out in frustration, irritation, or rage? If there wasn’t a clear shared and social benefit to an attitude or action, Dorotheos rejected it.

When we hold onto old hurts, grudges, and offenses, who hurts the most? How does negative energy damage relationships that could be healed and strengthened by positive energy? What can we do to work on humility, unity, tolerance, and mercy in our own homes, at work, at school, on the road, at the store, on social media?