The Harms of a Single Virtue
Many walk in a righteous life and make mistakes, because they do not look at religion as a whole. Rather, they place before their eyes one virtue only, regardless of its relationship to the rest of the virtues. They may think that they have mastered this virtue, while through practicing it they have fallen into various vices.
Therefore, we would like to speak to you today on the subject of:
The Harms of a Single Virtue¹
The Holy Bible is a complete book, not a single verse. And the spiritual life is an integrated life, not one angle or one virtue.
The wise person establishes a balance among all the virtues, especially those between which there may appear some kind of opposition or contradiction.
He looks at the whole. He does not neglect a single commandment. He does not think that carrying out one commandment exempts him from the rest, or that it is an excuse for him if he breaks another commandment. The Apostle Paul says: “And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing” (1 Cor 13:2).
All virtues have no value before God if one virtue is lacking, which is love… and even this love, a person is supposed to be wise in using it.
1- The virtue of love as an example:
A father who loves his son and indulges him in love until he becomes spoiled has followed the way of the single virtue and thus erred, because he lacked firmness and wisdom. Likewise, one who loves his parents with a love that makes him forget his concern for God in pleasing them also hears the Lord’s saying: “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me.” Loving people without loving God is of no benefit. Likewise, one who loves a girl and, in his love, forgets his chastity, and tries to cover his conscience with the phrase “Love one another,” we say to him: there is no love without chastity.
2- Another example: defending the truth:
A person says: “I keep my peace and calm,” and does not defend the truth, though he is able and capable to do so; he has clung to one virtue and abandoned another, and the Lord’s saying stands before him: “And you shall be witnesses to Me.”
Or another person defends the truth, but in doing so becomes angry and insults others; before him stands the verse that says: “Nor revilers… will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor 6:10). And in the virtue of defending the truth, he has lost the virtue of meekness. And in his insults stands before him the verse that says: “Whoever says to his brother, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire” (Matt 5:22).
The Kingdom of God requires within it wisdom and discernment in practicing virtues, so that one virtue is not destroyed in order to acquire another.
Every virtue you seek to acquire that destroys another virtue within you—know that it is a right-hand blow from Satan by which he wants to destroy what you have. Reject it and say: for the sake of God, I do not want it.
Rather, when God wants to grant me a virtue, He will prepare for me its good means…
True virtue must have virtuous means as well. If its means are wrong, then perhaps Satan is the one motivating it in order to cause your fall.
A young man wants to bear witness for God in his home, to speak the word of God in that house, and to lead his family to the way of God. All this is good and a blessing, and this is holy zeal and undoubtedly a virtue. But if this young man places the virtue of zeal alone before his eyes, such that in guiding the household he does not honor his parents—insults them, or speaks to them without respect, or rebukes them in a manner unbefitting a son speaking to his father—then he is guilty before God and before his parents, and the saying of divine inspiration stands before him: “The eye that mocks his father, and scorns obedience to his mother, the ravens of the valley will pick it out” (Prov 30:17). The virtue of defending the truth must be accompanied by the virtue of courtesy and gentleness.
There is no virtue that stands alone: its goal must be a virtue, its means a virtue, and its result a virtue; and often other virtues accompany it along the way. It must not contradict another virtue or break it, for there is no fellowship between light and darkness.
3- A third example is the virtue of obedience:
Obedience is a basic and necessary virtue for a person. Scripture says: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord,” and also: “Obey those who rule over you.” But some people may place this virtue alone before them in a way that makes them lose many other virtues: such as becoming exact copies of their parents regardless of their own nature and circumstances, or opposing those whom their parents oppose, loving those whom they love, and changing with them in their opinions. Thus, the single virtue harms them, because obedience also needs wisdom.
4- A fourth example is the virtue of meekness:
Meekness is one of the greatest virtues, for the Lord Jesus Christ said: “Learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart,” and it was also said of God: “He teaches the meek His ways.” But many follow the way of the single virtue, loving meekness and abandoning other virtues for its sake.
A person may understand meekness to mean kindness, tolerance, and nonviolence, and proceed in these matters without wisdom, until he loses his dignity before people and encourages them to sin against him and mock him without reason or occasion, and then he suffers from this.
Another may always use kindness and lose firmness for its sake, and many matters become corrupted because he does not use firmness, while the Lord Jesus Himself showed firmness in many situations, whether with His disciples or with His enemies, and set many at their limit.
Those who use the way of the single virtue and practice meekness without firmness, our advice to them is the saying of Scripture: “To everything there is a season.”
Others use meekness in the way of the single virtue and thus lose the virtue of chivalry and courage, defending the truth, and defending others, thinking that meekness means complete calm and not being stirred with anger for any matter, no matter how sacred or how dangerous it may be. In doing so, they forget the موقف of Abraham the father of the fathers, of whom Scripture says: “Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants… divided his forces against them by night… and defeated them… and he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people” (Gen 14).
Meekness does not prevent courage and chivalry. There are bold situations in which a person shows his courage and remains meek…
It is not right to deal with meekness in the way of the single virtue, thus misunderstanding it. Moses the prophet was said of him: “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men who were on the face of the earth.” Yet when he saw the people worshiping the golden calf, he was very angry and spoke to his brother Aaron with great firmness, so that Aaron feared him. Moses threw down the tablets of the Law and broke them, destroyed the golden calf, and scattered its dust.
Here we see that meekness did not prevent anger at times, nor did it prevent great firmness, and its possessor remained meek.
Is there among all the meek a greater example than Christ in meekness? God forbid. And yet the Lord Jesus, the example of meekness, took a whip and cleansed the temple of the errors that were in it, overturned the tables of the money changers, rebuked the wrongdoers, and drove out the sellers.
He who loves meekness should also love courage, chivalry, firmness, and zeal, and all these virtues should stand together to be harmonious and without deficiency.
Beware of using the single virtue, just as you should beware of using a single verse in doctrine and interpretation. Take spirituality as an integrated life in all its aspects, like a well-joined building, each part supporting the other.
5- A fifth example: simplicity:
There are people who love simplicity in the way of the single virtue. They believe everything and doubt no one, and may be deceived by the words of the wicked, placing before their eyes the saying of Scripture: “Love believes all things” (1 Cor 13:7)…
Simplicity does not mean lack of understanding or closing one’s eyes without wisdom. Simplicity is the absence of complexity. A person can avoid complicating matters and at the same time be aware and alert.
The Lord Jesus did not advise simplicity alone, but rather linked it with wisdom, saying: “Be simple as doves and wise as serpents. But beware of men, for they come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.” In the Lord’s saying, “Be simple and wise,” He draws our attention to the fact that righteousness is not one virtue, but rather the interaction of virtues together.
6- A sixth example: the virtue of silence:
Indeed, “listening is better than speaking.” As Saint Arsenius said: “Many times I have spoken and regretted it, but as for my silence, never have I regretted it.” And David the prophet said: “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.” Yet with all this, if a person takes silence as a virtue independent of the rest of the virtues, he would err in many things. As Scripture says: “A time to keep silence, and a time to speak” (Eccl 3:7). Truly, there are times when we must speak, and if we do not speak, we are judged for our silence. There are times when a word of courtesy, a word of consolation, a word of advice, a word of encouragement, or a word of warning is required… and silence becomes a sin.
7- A seventh example: forgiveness and punishment:
Forgiveness is a virtue, and pardoning wrongdoing is a form of tenderness and compassion… but if this matter is taken in the way of the single virtue, it causes harm. For there are situations in which a person in authority must punish…
God punished Eli the priest because he was not firm in punishing his sons. Therefore, not every forgiveness is a virtue; sometimes punishment is necessary.
¹ An article by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III – published in Al-Keraza Magazine, fifth year – issue five, 2-11-1974.
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