Letter 89: Chrysostom tells Theodosius that love crosses distance and urges him to reject those disturbing the churches.

By place we are far away from you, but in love we are near, close beside you, and bound to your very soul. That is what love is like. Distance cannot stop it; the length of a road cannot wall it off. It flies easily across the whole inhabited world and keeps company with those it loves. That is what we are doing now, carrying you with us in our thoughts. And we urge you to keep doing what you did before: adorn your own life, secure the churches, and with the courage proper to you turn away from those who have thrown such confusion over the whole world and disturbed the churches. This is the beginning of the storm's undoing. This is safety for the churches and the correction of evils: that you who are sound should turn away from those who have acted so wickedly and have nothing in common with them. Keep in mind the return this will bring and the crowns laid up from it. Show the courage that belongs to you, and remember us always. You will be giving the greatest gift to people who love you.

ΠΘʹ. Θεοδοσίῳ ἐπισκόπῳ Σκυθοπόλεως. Τῷ μὲν τόπῳ μακρὰν ὑμῶν διεστήκαμεν, τῇ δὲ ἀγάπῃ ἐγγὺς ὑμῶν ἐσμεν καὶ πλησίον, καὶ αὐτῇ συνδεδέμεθα ὑμῶν τῇ ψυχῇ. Τοιοῦτον γὰρ τὸ φιλεῖν· οὐ κωλύεται τόπῳ, οὐ διείργεται ὁδοῦ μήκει, ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν ῥᾳδίως περιίπταται τὴν οἰκουμένην, καὶ συγγίνεται τοῖς ἀγαπωμένοις. Ὃ δὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς ποιοῦμεν νῦν, ἐν διανοίᾳ ὑμᾶς περιφέροντες. Καὶ παρακαλοῦμεν ὑμᾶς, καθάπερ καὶ ἔμπροσθεν ἐποιήσατε, κοσμοῦντές τε ἑαυτοὺς, καὶ τὰς Ἐκκλησίας ἀσφαλιζόμενοι, οὕτω καὶ νῦν ποιήσατε, καὶ τοὺς τοσαύτας ταραχὰς ἐμβαλόντας εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην ἅπασαν, καὶ τὰς Ἐκκλησίας διαταράξαντας ἀποστρέφεσθε μετὰ τῆς προσηκούσης ὑμῖν ἀνδρείας. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἀρχὴ τῆς λύσεως τοῦ χειμῶνος, τοῦτο ἀσφάλεια ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις, τοῦτο τῶν κακῶν διόρθωσις, ὅταν τοὺς τὰ τοιαῦτα πονηρευσαμένους ὑμεῖς οἱ ὑγιαίνοντες ἀποστρέφησθε, καὶ μηδὲν κοινὸν ἔχητε πρὸς αὐτούς. Ἐννοῶν τοίνυν τοῦ πράγματος τὴν ἀντίδοσιν, καὶ τοὺς ἐντεῦθεν κειμένους στεφάνους, τὴν προσήκουσαν ἀνδρείαν ἐπιδείξασθαι παρακλήθητι εἰς τοῦτο αὐτὸ, καὶ ἡμῶν τῶν ἀγαπώντων σε μεμνῆσθαι διηνεκῶς, τὰ μέγιστα ἡμῖν χαριζόμενος.