Nicholas Arseniev: Christ in us, Christ in the other

 To Jacob Böhme¹ after his conversion, the "whole external world with its substance, is a covering of the spiritual world"; he feels the presence of God in all creatures, even in herbs and grasses. But especially convincing and the most deeply moving of all these encounters with God in the world which surrounds us are - as we have already said - our encounters with God through and in our fellow-man. When one has known what it is to be in deep distress, alone, seeing no help around, and suddenly a helping hand stretches towards you and a friendly voice speaks comfort and love to you, surely one feels in such a moment that God has spoken, that God is near, that He has revealed Himself through the intermediary of the helping, loving fellow-creature. But it is even more moving to be given the immense privilege of suddenly becoming the channel, the bringer, the living representative of God's active, helping love in relation to one's fellow-man. The one who helps is sometimes even more innerly shaken and overwhelmed that the one who receives the benefaction. "Who am I, O Lord, that Thou dost that through me?" (cf. Ex 3:11). He feels the presence of the Lord in the suffering brother. It is one of the highest and most sacred experiences in our life, something which remains, which moves us ourselves deeply, awaking not self-complacency but deepest humility and gratitude. "O Lord, when have we seen Thee hungry and feed Thee, or thirsty and give Thee drink? When have we seen Thee a stranger and take Thee in, or naked and clothed Thee? Or when have we seen Thee sick, or in prison, and come unto Thee?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as you have done it to one of the least of these My brethren, you have done it unto Me." (Matt 25:37-40). We feel the truth of these words, we feel His presence behind and in the suffering brother, even the least of our brethren, often so uninteresting, so average-looking, so helpless, so alone, but - so near to Him, so closely connected with Him. This is the immanence of the Transcendent God.

+Nicholas Arseniev, from Revelation of Life Eternal, chapter 1, Principles of Religious Cognition, section 5.

¹ Jacob Böhme( +1624) German philosopher, mystic and Lutheran theologian.