Imagine a single straight line that begins at birth and continues through death, opening into the presence of God. This is the true path of a human life, set by the wisdom and mercy of the Creator. We were fashioned to walk that line in simplicity and love, with a heart turned toward the One who calls. Yet sin bends the will. Selfishness and self centeredness nudge the feet to the side until the steps no longer aim toward the true horizon.
Only Christ has walked this line without deviation. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and in Him there is no shadow of turning. His thoughts, His silence, His words, His suffering, all were perfectly aligned with the will of the Father. Confessing Him as Lord is essential, yet confession alone does not make the walk straight. The heart must be kept awake, watchful, ready to turn again back toward Him at every moment.
Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:6)
Why the heart strays
The heart strays for many reasons. Love cools. Pride rises. Fear grows louder than trust. What should be offered to God becomes held as possession. The Fathers speak of this drift with clear sobriety and with hope. St. Isaac the Syrian says, This life has been given to you for repentance; do not waste it on vain pursuits. Repentance is not a single event. It is the steady return of the heart to the straight line.
St. John Climacus writes, Repentance is the renewal of baptism. The soul is not crushed by this word. It is lifted and made ready for the next step. St. Macarius the Great teaches, The heart itself is a small vessel, yet dragons and lions are there; also there are angels and the Lord. The battle and the healing both happen within the same small space. No one is abandoned.
Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you. Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established; do not turn to the right or the left. (Proverbs 4:25 to 27)
Recalibration, the daily turning
When the drift becomes known, the task is simple. Call upon Jesus. Not once, but continually. Many times in a single day if needed. Pray, receive Holy Communion, read the Scriptures, listen for the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit, and compare the present position of the heart to the place where Christ stands. Then recalibrate, and set a new heading toward Him. This is not a technique. It is a life of trust and obedience.
The ancient prayer of the Church helps the soul breathe with humility, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. St. Theophan the Recluse counsels a steady spirit, Seek to establish in the heart a quiet, warm, and constant turning toward God. Do not chase after extraordinary states. Constancy matters more than flashes of feeling. St. Porphyrios of Kafsokalyvia offers the same simplicity, Love Christ and put nothing before His love.
Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23 to 24)
The thinness of the line
The line is infinitely thin. Christ does not move. It is we who wander. The smallest change in heading can seem harmless at the moment, yet over many years it opens a wide gap. The adversary feeds on this misconception, whispering that a slight degree off is no great matter. The saints teach vigilance that is free of anxiety and filled with peace. To notice quickly is a gift. To return quickly is freedom.
Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. (Hebrews 12:1 to 2)
St. Silouan the Athonite gives a word for those who feel lost, Keep your mind in hell and despair not. This is not gloom. It is the rejection of pride and the refusal of despair at the same time. Humility sees the truth about the heart. Hope sees the face of Christ and walks again.
Instruments of true course
The Church places sure instruments in the hands of the faithful
Prayer of the heart, short and frequent. The Jesus Prayer becomes the breath of the soul.
Scripture, read with attention and reverence, not rushed. The Gospels become the daily horizon.
Holy Communion, received after confession and preparation, uniting the walker to the One who already walked the line for us.
Holy Confession, where the drift is brought into light, and the compass is reset through absolution.
Silence, where the mind grows still enough to notice small deviations and to receive the counsel of the Spirit.
Works of mercy, the outward shape of a heart that turns toward Christ, since love of neighbor clears the inner sight.
Then He said to them all, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. (Luke 9:23)
Early and often, yet never too late
Course correction works best when it is early and often. A small return is easier than a great one. Yet even a great return is not impossible. No one is beyond the reach of the Lord. The thief on the cross turned at the last moment and was welcomed into Paradise. Grace is not meager. Mercy is not small.
Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13 to 14)
St. Mark the Ascetic reminds the heart, Do the good you know, and the God whom you do not yet know will reveal Himself to you. St. John Climacus teaches, Do not be surprised that you fall every day; do not give up, but stand your ground with courage. These words do not shatter a bruised reed. They guard hope.
A quiet rule for steady feet
A simple pattern can help the day hold a straight course
Morning, make the sign of the Cross and pray the Our Father with attention. Read a short Gospel passage. Offer the day to God.
Through the day, repeat the Jesus Prayer with a soft breath. Pause before each task. Seek a word from the Lord in a few verses of Scripture. Choose one act of mercy.
Evening, make a brief examination of conscience. Confess the day’s drift without excuses. Give thanks for every mercy noticed. Read a psalm. Entrust the night to Christ.
Each week, make room for the Divine Liturgy and Holy Communion, with preparation and thanksgiving.
Each month, or as often as needed, come to Holy Confession.
The face that does not move
Christ remains where He has always been. He is the still center. He is the fixed point. Each time the heart turns, He receives. Each time the feet resume the walk, He strengthens. The line is narrow, yet it is full of light, for it is traced by His own steps.
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. (2 Corinthians 3:18)
May this quiet work of returning and returning again be the rhythm of a lifetime. May the Spirit keep the compass true. May the end of the line open into the merciful arms of God.
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