Between God And Man

Περὶ διαφορᾶς Θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπων· καὶ ὅτι πολὺ τὸ μέσον Θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπων, καὶ τοῦ ἁμαρτάνειν εἰς Θεὸν, καὶ εἰς ἀνθρώπους. Ἡλὶ πρεσβύτερος σφόδρα·καὶ ἤκουσεν ἃ ἐποίουν οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ, τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραήλ· καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Ἵνα τί ποιεῖτε κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο, ὃ ἐγὼ ἀκούω ἐκ στόματος παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ Κυρίου; Μὴ, τέκνα· ὅτι οὐκ ἀγαθὴ ἡ ἀκοὴ, ἣν ἐγὼ ἀκούω, τοῦ μὴ δουλεύειν λαὸν Θεῷ. Ἐὰν ἁμαρτάνων ἁμαρτήσῃ ἀνὴρ εἰς ἄνδρα, καὶ προσεύξεται περὶ αὐτοῦ πρὸς Κύριον· ἐὰν δὲ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἁμαρτήσῃ, τίς προσεύξεται περὶ αὐτοῦ; Ζητήσατε τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ἐν τῷ εὑρίσκειν αὐτὸν, ἐπικαλέσασθε. Ἡνίκα δ' ἂν ἐγγίζῃ ὑμῖν, ἀπολειπέτω ὁ ἀσεβὴς τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀνὴρ ἄνομος τὰς βουλὰς αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἐπιστραφήτω ἐπὶ Κύριον, καὶ ἐλεηθήσεται, ὅτι ἐπὶ πολὺ ἀφήσει τὰς ἁμαρτίας ὑμῶν. Οὐδὲ ὥσπερ αἱ ὁδοὶ ὑμῶν, αἱ ὁδοί μου, λέγει Κύριος. Ἀλλ' ὅσον ἀπέχει ὁ οὐρανὸς ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς, οὕτως ἀπέχει ἡ ὁδός μου ἀπὸ τῶν ὁδῶν ὑμῶν, καὶ τὰ διανοήματα ὑμῶν ἀπὸ τῆς διανοίας μου. Τοσοῦτον τὸ μέσον Θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπου, ὅσον οὐδὲ ὁ λόγος παραστῆσαι δυνήσεται. Άγιος Ιωάννης ο Δαμασκηνός, Τὰ Ιἐρα Παραλληλα, Στοικειον Δ´, Τιτλ Λ´ Source: Migne PG 95.1416c-d

Of the difference between God and man and that there is much that separates God and man, and of sinning against God and men. Eli was very old and he heard what his sons did among the sons of Israel and he said to them: 'What is it that you do according to the report which I hear from the mouth of all the people of the Lord? Let it not be, my sons, because it is no good report that I hear, it is no service for the people to God. If in sinning a man sins against a man, he shall pray for him to God, but if he sins against the Lord, who shall pray for him? 1 Seek the Lord and when you have found him, call on Him. Then when he has come near to you, let the impious man rest from his ways, and the iniquitous man from his counsel, and let him turn to the Lord and the Lord will be merciful, for He is rich in the forgiveness of your sins. For my ways are not your ways, says the Lord. But as far as heaven from earth are my ways from your ways, and my thoughts from your thoughts. 2 So great is the gulf between God and man that there is no speech so great that it is able to express it. Saint John of Damascus, Sacred Parallels, Letter D, Chap 30 1 1 Kings 2.22-25 2 Isaiah 55.6-9