I feel myself very much honoured by being received in this Holy Transfiguration Monastery and Lay Academy of New Valamo, here in Finland, and by having been invited by SYNDESMOS to deliver a talk at its XVI General Assembly, which opens today 18 July which, on the Old Calender, is the Feast of Saint Athanasios of Mount Athos, where I come from.

SERVE THE LORD IN UNITY
I wish to approach my theme by speaking about division caused by not serving the Lord rather than by talking of unity attained by serving the Lord. Otherwise it would be too theoretical for me, I am afraid. Unity may be granted only by assuming and suffering the pain produced by our lack of unity, our division as persons and as Christians as a whole.
    "Oti aproslipto kai atherapevto." What is not assumed is not healed, say the Holy Fathers of the Church. This healing can be obtained through the movement of repentance and only by the grace of Love. This, we must not forget, is a gift.
    Having wrongly used my free will, I have many times departed from the Way. My heart is in pain. My thoughts and memories are diversified and fragmented, my mind and heart separated, although - out of an existential need - I strive somehow for deep personal communion with the creation and its uncreated centre of union which is the living water of the rivers that flow, bringing joy and healing and fertility to the heart. On the one hand, falling in love with myself and on the other desiring the uncreated source of my joy, I am divided and in pain. And furthermore, in this Assembly, I am attempting to let flow, without hindrance, the spirit of union among us.
    It has been revealed that in the beginning was the One, Who is the Way of all those who love, simple and unseparated, transcending the antinomy of the one and the many, the One, neither one nor unity, the One, the Way leading to union, Who was made flesh so that we, men, may become by participation exactly like Him, the One. Outside time, before the morning star, the One begets, and the Begotten is the one and Breath rests upon Him and He, too, is the One and the Oneness of the Three is a mystery - the mystery of union of the One who is Three. And His given name is a commonplace, the most dishonoured, Love; but this love exists before the morning star, before the world was made, and is sublime and honoured at all times by those who are full of light because they have in their great, tiny, hearts this One, who is immense in splendour. And they bear witness.
    Divided, split because of self-love, because of the wrong use of our free will. This division produces pain. This pain is a blessing, even if we do not choose it. By assuming the real fact of our division as persons and as Christians and by weeping out the pain that this produces, healing and union may be granted by Love, that strange and familiar love, which is born in our hearts. Is not this love God Himself, having mercy on us, giving us tears, light, joy and love, and union?
    So, let us not be trapped by ignoring our division as persons and as Christians as a whole, but on the contrary, let us assume it and let us cry with tears the pain that division produces. But in order to assume this division and to cry our pain, we need strength, and this can only be given by God, who vanquished death and division through His incarnation and resurrection.
   Devil in Greek is diabolos, which means "the one who divides." So, let us be watchful in order that we may not fall into his net. The power of the divider has been trampled by the risen Christ, so he has no power over us, unless we give it to him. We always repeat the same primal error, the first wrong use of our free will, so we ought also to realise what this primal error was and why we did it; facing the fear that may have induced us to do it, and going through the pain that we refuse to live. Otherwise, we shall repeat the same error again and again.
    The vast open spaces of Finland with its vast green forests and lakes reflecting the vast sky and cool wind going through, invite me to think of the space that we have to make in ourselves so that heaven, not only sky, may reflect upon the lakes of our hearts and the Holy Wind may go through, refreshing the heart and the mind and all our being; soul and body. When you love you make a place for the other in your consciousness.
    So it is by the right use of our free will, which conforms itself to the movement of our human nature and by the grace of Love, that we achieve the union of our own self and among ourselves and union with God. And let us have in mind that this is a union without confusion. Therefore we not only serve the Lord in unity, but we rejoice and feast with Him and manifest Him - who is Love - to the world and share Him with others.
    Thus, the way to union is Love. Its beginning is Love and its end is not an end, but continuous Love, where there shall never be separation. Love the sole Bridegroom. And His unique grace and attraction were beheld by all those who were granted this joyful union. And He was made flesh and dwelt among us... being scourged, stripped naked and crucified for us, who still are divided; but constantly being loved and invited to love, I  feel... And let us hope, because there must lie the power of this loving union.
    It is by turning our inner self towards Love, by loving Love _ this is metanoia, the turning of the intellect, repentance _ that union is given: union both of our own self and amongst ourselves. The more we attain union, the more we are really serving the Lord.
    The only thing that really exists is Love. And the greatest of all pleasures is to love God and His creation.
    Through love, which is mainly experienced by inner prayer - we do not only serve the Lord, but also become friends of the Lord and make love with the Lord and are united to Him. Through this union with Love our own self and our mind and heart acquire unity. And pain and fear disappear. And the Lord is merciful and the Lord is joy, and the Lord is pleasure and the Lord is not only the Lord, but He is also the Friend and the Lover. And He wants us to go beyond ourselves, to reach the other, to reach Him. Actually it is He Who reaches out to us, if we want it.
    And so, let us go beyond all divisions and love each other.