From the wisdom of the Fathers
Avva Isidor of Pelusium
(c. 360 - 440)
Abba Isidor of Pelusium said that life without a word is useful more than the word without life. For even a life spent in silence is useful, while the word even shouting it upsets. But if both the word and life are in accord, they make an icon of all philosophy.
Abba Isidor teaches us the importance of harmonization between word and deed. The word is important when it is in harmony with life. It is part of life. Life is a mystery that through its existence manifests the mystery of man and God. The word must be a reflection of it. The Word or Son of God is the image of the Father revealed to men and communicating His will for our salvation. Likewise, the word of man must be the image of his authentic life and must communicate his true will. The word must be in accordance with the true life.
The paradigm of human life and existence is divine. Man, to be truly human needs the harmonization of life and word. Man must not forget that his being is a reflection of the image and likeness of God given to him at the creation. The true and authentic model of human existence is the conformity between existence/life and word. Abba Isidor reflects the spirituality of the Desert's Fathers who were attentive to the accord between word and deed.
He said again that wickedness also turned men away from God and divided them from one another. So, with all our zeal, we must flee and run after the good deed, which also brings us to God and unites us with one another. And the boundary of the good deed and of the philosophy is honesty held with intelligence.
Deed is an important thing in the Christian's life. The fall by word attracts the one by deed and has a double consequence: the falling away of man from God and the turning away from his neighbor. Just as Christ shows us that what summarize the Law and the Prophets are the love of God and the love of neighbor, so we can say that what is not according to true love causes man to turn away from God and neighbor.
Man has God and his neighbor by his side when he does good deeds.