Читать книгу The Journey: How an obscure Byzantine Saint became our Santa Claus - David Price Williams - Страница 81

after weeks of torture, rather than go back to a life of confrontation and killing. But we’re still winning their hearts. I’m sure you’ll meet some of our army converts today Nicholas.”

We turned left again down a street leading towards the harbour and stopped before a fairly modest building.

“This was once a synagogue,” continued Polios. “It’s now used as one of our meeting houses, where we not only pray but the community also provides meals for the needy and the beggars. You wouldn’t think so would you, among such wealthy and cultured people, but there are hundreds and hundreds of men and women who don’t have jobs or who are in some way incapacitated and who are totally overlooked by the city fathers. It’s a shocking disgrace really, but we help anyone who comes to us, with food, clothing and even shelter.”

Polios pushed the door open and we went inside. I was amazed. There were scores of poorly dressed men and women sitting at a long table silently eating what appeared to be a thick soup from wooden bowls.

“They come in here off the street,” observed Polios. “They’ve nowhere else to go. Our community feeds them and cares for them and given enough encouragement they can often turn their lives around. See those girls serving there; they were once the very same – street orphans. This is what the love of Christ can do for people. It can transform lives.”

DAVID PRICE WILLIAMS