Patristic Quote of the Week

“If you are yearning for purity of heart and peace of mind, root out from your heart the tree of knowledge of good and evil, which God commanded our first ancestor not to eat from, lest he should die.” (St. Isac the Syrian, Homily On the Solidarity Life, in “The Four Books,” 2, Arabic version)

Awesome! As St. Paul said, “knowledge puffs up but love edifies.”  Systematic theology that insists that everything be black and white, neatly organized for our immediate consumption does nothing but puff us up. Knowledge, in and of itself will not lead us into Christ, but humility and willingness will! Humility wards off the tree of knowledge and willingness invites God’s natural plan begin to shape and form you to be one with Him.