About the destruction of Sodom

from the letters of St. Nicholas of Serbia

Why did the Lord destroy Sodom? The Scripture tells us: And the Lord said "because the outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous" (Gen. 18:20). The greatness of the sin of Sodom is evident by the fact that there was not found even ten righteous people in it. When Abraham asked the Lord if He will destroy the city if He finds in it ten righteous ones, the Lord answered: I will not destroy  it for the sake of ten (Gen. 18:32).

But even ten righteous men were not found - all the people of that city arose against the Lord and human nature. Their souls were dead and their bodies were lecherous. And because of that the Lord rained brimstone and fire, the symbol of their filthy passions. And nothing was left of Sodom except bad fame and terrible history. 

The anger of God was upon not only Sodom but other cities as well where sin had made humans so ugly that they stopped looking like a creation of God. If such was the experience of cities which did not know the name of Jesus Christ, what should expect those who were baptized in the name of the Son of God but with their sins they were like Sodom and Gomorrah? Read the prophesy of the Saviour to Capernaum: And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven will be brought down to hades, for if the mighty works which were done in you were done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day (Mt. 11:23). This prophesy was fulfilled on the place where once stood Capernaum which is now covered with thorny bushes, stones, and snakes. With my own eyes I saw this sight and the heart of every pilgrim to the Holy Land was aching.