There is nothing more beautiful and deep,
There is nothing more pretty and more wise,
And more courageous and better than Christ,
And could not be. If it was even proved
by someone that Christ is outside the Truth
and Truth is not in him, but outside Christ,
and if it was really so - then I would
have chosen not the Truth - but I'll remain with Christ.
***
Нет ничего прекраснее и глубже,
А также симпатичнее, разумней,
И мужественней, совершеннее Христа,
И быть не может. Если б доказал
Мне кто-нибудь, что будто бы Христос
Вне истины и истина не в Нем,
А вне Христа, и если б было так -
То я не истину бы выбрал, а Христа.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
That's a bold statement of faith, Liza, to choose Jesus over truth, in a hypothetical situation. Of course, by their very nature, hypothetical situations can't happen in reality. Often it's a matter of language and can be easily resolved: for example, a circle and a square are discrete shapes in geometry. If someone says, can God create a square circle, the impulsive answer of a believer might, YES, OF COURSE HE CAN BECAUSE GOD CAN DO ANYTHING. And it seems as if the believer is defending God. But it's a trick question to make the unwary believer look foolish. Language has already defined these words as opposites, and that's all they are - words. Over time words change in meaning, or simply disappear. And here's the heart of the matter: Everything changes except God: his omnipotence is unaffected when you respond to that question: No, He can't make a square circle because the two words cancel each other. It's not God who is limited; it's language that's limited. It's a question that has no relevance to the Omnipotent Being He is. And it's a trivial question. // I'm not saying your choice of Jesus over Truth is trivial or irrelevant. It just has to be seen for what it is: an exaggerated statement of faith. In that sense, it is poetic rather than literal. It is a startling moment of awareness: God made everything, nothing is as important as He is, we can do without everything in creation except God. So we must always and everywhere affirm God's presence. Jesus defined Himself in Matthew's Gospel as the Way, the Truth and the Light. Those are His immutable elements. And so I could respond to your hypothetical by saying: Even if you chose the Truth over Jesus, you still chose Jesus because He is the Truth. That may be the hidden truth inside your hypothetical. // Can you give me a translation of the Dostoyevsky quotation, you know how I love him.//Bye for Now!