Metropolitan Anthony Bloom on Evangelism:
"We do not try to win people over to Orthodoxy, but we are a missionary Church in the sense that we believe with all our hearts that Orthodoxy is infinitely precious, is capable of bringing joy and vision to people both if things divine and of human relationships and of our total attitude to the created world, and we want to share it - whether people become Orthodox technically or not is something which is secondary to us. What matters to us is that they should become partakers of this exulting joy and wonder which Orthodoxy is. So what we should do is to be a presence that is convincing; that is, looking at us people should see on our faces, in our eyes, in our behaviour,a dimension of wonder, joy and also of a sincere and sober desire to serve; and a disciplined mind and heart capable if serving faithfully whomever is in need if being served. And I think that if we became even a small light - if we became nothing but a handful if salt that prevents corruption- if we could bring a little hope to the hearts of people who have lost all hope, a little faith in the sense of trust and faithfulness and knowledge of God, a little love, we would be fulfilling our vocation. This is what we should bring, each of us perhaps a crumb, all of us we possess, and express this in the readiness to give without asking any return."+ HE Metropolitan Anthony Bloom, from Gilligan Crow's 'A Man of Vision' (New York: SVS Press, 2005) 158-159.
"It requires true saintliness to see the divine light shining in the darkness of another's personality, but to be seen as an icon of God could be for a person redemption. It is impious to venerate icons without venerating out neighbour, for in serving our neighbour we adore God." + HE Metropolitan Anthony Bloom
