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All through the history of your world it can be seen that the great initiates, who both by their teaching and by their example have had most influence upon mankind, were men who left the shallows of minor ecclesiastical interests and controversies and launched out 'into the deep', not afraid to make their message center upon what St. Paul terms 'the deep things of God.' Many of the thoughtful ones among you are not satisfied by what you derive from a certain faith or religion, as you would call it today. The peace of mind and happiness which it should bestow seem outside your personal experience. You have a true interest in the teachings contained in your Bible or in the holy books of other faiths, yet you have hardly realized that the faith which satisfies has to be far more than a secondary interest in your daily life. You must launch out into the deep, for it is indeed true of any faith, as of many lesser human interests, that he who gives but little of himself to it will receive but little in return. I do not desire to imply by this that a deep and profound sense of religious belief must isolate an ordinary man from his contemporaries or in any way detach his interests from the normal recreations or business of his daily life. Yet most assuredly the religious attitude will bring new happiness, spiritual enlightenment and power with which to meet the misfortunes or sorrows to which human flesh is heir. Again, my dear ones, in a most real sense it will add to the value and effectiveness of your citizenship of any country, for every initiate or disciple of Christ must wish to make belief easier for his brother man of every race. And always you will become aware on your path of illumination and able to distinguish between those who still linger in the shadows of their chosen faith, and those in whose sails, as it were, is the wind of the Spirit as they fare forth on the ocean of God's love. In the events of your daily lives at this present time a great strain is placed on your faith. Severe character tests will come, too, as in sudden defeat of prolonged effort--a breakdown of confident anticipation, which must always bring disappointments. These are felt even more keenly when the success desired is apart from any thought of personal gain. What seems like final defeat is far harder to bear when it befalls one who has toiled in the service of others. He may have been trying to benefit a whole nation or a mere handful of his brethren, but whatever the scope of his endeavor his whole heart is set upon its achievement. Then his hopes are crushed when at last he appears on the verge of success. Disappointments are also opportunities. When rightly used they become a means of strengthening character. To the Christian initiate they have a significance which could not be perceived by Moses or any saint of the Old Testament. You will remember Moses knew himself to be the divinely chosen leader of his people. He had brought them through the period of the wilderness, had overcome attacks from without, and ingratitude and revolt among those he led. Yet there was to be for him no triumphant entry into the promised land; no more would be allowed him than a view of its streams and fertile lands from a mountain summit. The follower of Jesus today need not allow any failure of personal hopes to weaken his faith either in his Father God or in his brother man. He will resolve to make the best not merely of things but of people. He will be sure that often, by means he cannot understand, the fulfillment of God's purpose for this world moves forward; and he will think of that promised land where failures are ended, and all, understanding all, unite in service and in love to each other everywhere. My beloved earth brethren, does there not sometimes come to each one of you a sense of vast companionship? You know that you are not alone, but are one of a great throng of souls on a pilgrimage toward the universal Father of all. Does this thought not bring to you great inspiration and great joy? You rejoice and give thanks that you are one to share in this privilege of service.... A question might arise as to the meaning of the cross: Why must mankind suffer and feel unhappy? Remember, the cross stands for the path of liberation. The cross is life-giving. The cross symbolizes the way of renunciation and surrender of self-will to God's will. Give up, beloved; surrender, renounce, give all to God. Then will come to your souls an inflow of harmony and peace--and all is well. God in his infinite love knows your hearts and is already giving back a hundredfold all that you have surrendered. Every child of God must one day come to this state of self-surrender, or crucifixion. Only through crucifixion can there come true resurrection of the spirit into the heaven prepared for it. The Christian spirit within each one of you can grow like the lily--pure and perfect. The lily has surrendered itself to the laws which govern its life. It has grown as the Father planned it, out of the dark earth toward the light--even out of the mud at the bottom of the pond. As the flower strains toward the sunlight, so also the spirit of man with his roots in the mud and slime of materialism, yearns for the sunlight and becomes a perfect expression of the true life--a child of God. So live, day by day. Live to become as the white and pure lily, the perfect expression of the Christ life in man." Released at the Ashram of the World Mother; this section from First Book, pp. 46-9. (continue at link!) |
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