[vladimir998]

“It is one thing to willingly go where one feels led. It is quite another thing to have someone tell you, YOU have to go.”

The Holy Spirit might very well be acting through the Patriarch: Acts 21:4.

“Sometimes the best offense is defense.”

Refusing your mission is not defense.

[HarleyD]

Act 21:4 And having sought out the disciples, we stayed there for seven days. And through the Spirit they were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.

Perhaps the Holy Spirit is telling them not to go and the Church leaders are telling them they need to go.

I am reminded of Augustine. In the early years of the church, Christians believed it to be a great honor to die for the cause of Christ. So much so that they deliberately sought to be burned at the stake or martyred in some other way. Augustine saw the foolishness of this and quickly presauded believers that it wasn't in the interest of Christianity to become martyrs if the situation could be averted. One could learn from Augustine's wisdom.