B
Binney
Guest
Christian are not distinguishable from other people either by nationality or by language or by the clothes they wear.
Their way of life has nothing peculiar about it. They conform to local customs, but they show how extraordinary and paradoxical the laws of their spiritual state are.
They live each in his own country, but as a foreigner.
They fulfil all their civic duties, but as foeigners.
Every foreign country is to them the home country and every home country is them a foreign country. They spend their lives on earth but they are citizens of heaven.
They love everyone and everyone persecutes them. Misunderstood, they are condemned and put to death, but in such a way that they attain life.
They are poor and make many others rich. They are deprived of everything and have a superabundance of everything.
Despised, they find in this contempt their glory. While they do nothing but good, they are punished as offenders. When they are punished they taste the joy of those who are born to life.
To sum up, what the soul is in the body, Christians are in the world.
Letter to Diognetus
Their way of life has nothing peculiar about it. They conform to local customs, but they show how extraordinary and paradoxical the laws of their spiritual state are.
They live each in his own country, but as a foreigner.
They fulfil all their civic duties, but as foeigners.
Every foreign country is to them the home country and every home country is them a foreign country. They spend their lives on earth but they are citizens of heaven.
They love everyone and everyone persecutes them. Misunderstood, they are condemned and put to death, but in such a way that they attain life.
They are poor and make many others rich. They are deprived of everything and have a superabundance of everything.
Despised, they find in this contempt their glory. While they do nothing but good, they are punished as offenders. When they are punished they taste the joy of those who are born to life.
To sum up, what the soul is in the body, Christians are in the world.
Letter to Diognetus