“Ephesus was once a thriving port city renown for wealth and industry. At one point it was the most important city in the Roman Empire. Yet, a few centuries passed and it became a wasteland. For the longest time, archeologists wondered what happened. Was it a plague, war, invaders? Nothing explained it, until they discovered the deposits of silt. Little by little, the river washed silt into the bay. The build up was so gradual that it went unnoticed, but eventually, the silt cut off the city from the sea. Its trade economy was ruined.

 

We do the same every time we close our hearts to God. In all the passing moments scattered in the day, when we chose selfishness or disobey God in our conscience, the deposit of silt builds up. We put up a veil between us and God. When we do not seek his forgiveness, we get used to it. We prefer darkness. We want space…God is everywhere and his beauty shines in everything. We spend our lives bogged down with heavy veils. We think the world is dark, when really it is our heart that is dark. If we can turn to him, if we can let Him into our heart to cleanse and purify it, then we will be able to see God. We will say, with the joy of St. Efrem: ‘Blessed is the Hidden One shining out!’”

– ‘In the Desert Blog’

Rising Sun at the top of Agion Oros