“At the time of the iconoclasts ten Christians who stoutly defended the icon of Christ at the Bronze Door of the palace in Constantinople were martyred for it. Now Christ’s person is being blasphemed and we must not be indifferent. If knowledgeable and discerning people like us lived at that time they would have said to the ten martyrs, “That’s not how to be spiritual. So the Emperor’s soldiers are coming to destroy the icon – never mind. When things change we will put another icon there and it’ll even be more Byzantine.” We try to make our downfall, our cowardice, are self-serving attitude appear to be something exalted. It makes me shudder.”
Elder Paisios
~Elder Paisios of Mt. Athos