03/06/2026
“Elder, are you afraid?” the young monk asked.
Elder Agathon looked at him. His eyes were deep, like a spring of wisdom, and his face was lined by years and trials.
“No, my child,” said the elder.
“I am not afraid of wars.”
“But how?” the young monk asked. “There is so much pain, so much death. People suffer, cities are destroyed. How can you not be afraid?”
Elder Agathon smiled. It was a smile full of peace, a smile that lit up his face.
“My child,” said the elder,
“Wars are terrible, yes. But they are not the greatest threat to us.”
“What do you mean?” the young monk asked.
“The greatest threat,” said the elder,
“is the war within us. The war between good and evil, between love and hatred, between faith and doubt. This war is more dangerous, because it can destroy us from within.”
“But how can we win this war?” the young monk asked.
“Through prayer, my child,” said the elder. “With faith. With love. With forgiveness. That is our weapon. That is the weapon that will help us win the war within ourselves.”
The young monk looked at Elder Agathon. In the elder’s eyes he saw peace, faith, and love. And in that gaze he found hope.
- Elders of Mount Athos.
