“He that loves (agapon) his neighbor as he ought, does not decline to be a servant to him more humbly than any slave. Just as fire, when brought into contact with wax, easily softens it, so does the warmth of love (agapes) dissolve all arrogance and presumption more powerfully than fire.” St. John Chrysostom, Homily on Galatians, 5.
While it can often be difficult to react with love towards those who wrong us, this is what St. John Chrysostom advises for us. If we look to the example of the first century we see the persecuted Christians of that age responding with love to those who were persecuting them. It was in this light that Christianity subsequently became the faith of the empire in the 3rd and 4th centuries.
An Ancient Faith For a Modern World 
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