On Life 79 – Confidence and Promises – May 30, 2015

   As a child, he learned that men do not cry. Yet, tears filled his eyes. He was quite perplexed. His mind was full of warring thoughts, “Why, friend? You destroyed confidence and broke my heart!” He cried out in pain, in like manner waves strongly hit the shore and die!

   During our lifetime, we go through many heart-rending situations. Some of them just pass, while others cause man severe pain. So, be cautious in treating others lest you break their hearts for good.

   Confidence and promises have a deep impact on humans. If they are lost, life changes totally. Never let anybody down; never break your promises. It is said, “Two should never broken: confidence and promises, for if this happens, they do not just produce a horrible sound, but a terrible pain also.” Man needs lots of years and strong stances to win others’ confidence. But, if it is broken, a whole lifetime will not be enough to fix it. Whoever breaks his promise loses the other party’s confidence. So, do not promise what you cannot deliver on that you might not hurt others.

   Do not break the heart of someone who was kind to you, as you will not be able to fix things easily, no matter how hard you try. Here, we recall the story of the father who had a quick-tempered child. The father asked his child to fix some nails to the wooden fence of the garden, then take them off. He made it a point that the nails left a mark on the fence. So are cruel words. They leave incurable marks on the human soul. Thus, be careful with your words and expressions lest you hurt a kind person. Remember that God does not accept that good be met with evil; what you sow, so you will reap.

   Do not burn your ships. Life is a long journey. One day, you will need a ship to travel. You need it sound. If it is not sound, you cannot return. Life has a lot of pain and troubles. So, there is no need to increase them. Rather, we need more love and confidence which help us overcome our crises and hardships. We need more kindness and respect, more goodness, understanding, and endurance which will enlighten our path. I do like the blind man’s wisdom. Someone saw him walking with a lamp in his hand and asked him, “Why do you carry a lamp which you do not need?” “That the sighted might not hit me,” replied he.

General Bishop

Head of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center