To Governor Yanovsky. On the Nature of Christianity. 20 June 1820

Glory to the holy judgments of the merciful God! By His inscrutable Providence He has shown me today a new wonder, the like of which I had not seen here on Kodiak in twenty years of living. Now, after Pascha, a young woman of no more than twenty years, who speaks Russian well, and who had not known me at all before, came to me and, upon hearing of the Incarnation of the Son of God and of eternal life, was so inflamed with love for Jesus Christ that she would in no way depart from me. By her earnest entreaty she prevailed upon me—contrary to my inclination and love of solitude, and in spite of all the obstacles and difficulties I set before her—to receive her; and she has now lived with me for more than a month and does not grow weary.

A true Christian is made by faith and love for Christ. Our sins are no impediment whatsoever to Christianity, by the word of the Saviour Himself. He was pleased to say that He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance (Matt. 9:13). There is joy in Heaven over one sinner who repents more than over ninety-nine righteous persons (Luke 15:7).

Likewise, concerning the harlot who touched His feet, He was pleased to say to Simon the Pharisee: to one who has love, a great debt is forgiven, but from one who has no love, even a small debt is exacted. By these and similar reflections the Christian must bring himself to hope and joy, and by no means give heed to the despair that assails him; here the shield of faith is needful.

For one who loves God, sin is nothing other than arrows from the enemy in battle. The true Christian is a soldier pressing through the ranks of the invisible foe toward his Heavenly homeland, according to the apostolic word: our citizenship is in Heaven. And concerning soldiers he says: “our struggle is not against blood and flesh, but against principalities and against powers” (Eph. 6:12).

The empty desires of this age draw us away from our homeland; love for them and habituation to them clothe our soul as it were in vile garments—what the Apostles have called “the outer man.” We, wandering on the journey of this life, calling upon God for help, must strip off that vileness and clothe ourselves in new desires, in a new love for the age to come, and thereby discern whether we are drawing nearer to our Heavenly homeland or moving farther from it.

But this cannot be accomplished quickly; one must follow the example of the sick, who, desiring their cherished health, do not cease to seek out means for their own healing.

I speak without clarity.