Demons

by Fyodor Dostoevsky

‘By the way, Christ won’t forgive me, will he?’ Stavrogin asked, and in the tone of his question could be heard a slight touch of irony. ‘For it is stated in the Book: “For whoso shall offend one of these little ones” 13 — you remember? According to the Gospel, there is no greater crime, nor can there be. It’s all there in this book!’ He pointed at the Gospel. ‘I bring you joyful news about this,’ Tikhon said with emotion, ‘even Christ will forgive you if only you can reach the point of forgiving yourself… Oh, no, no, don’t believe me, I have uttered blasphemy. Even if you don’t achieve reconciliation with yourself and forgiveness of yourself, even then he will forgive you for your intention and for your great suffering… for there are neither words nor thought in human language to express all the ways and means of the Lamb, “until his ways are made manifest14 to us”. Who can embrace him, the unembraceable, who can understand all of him, the infinite!’