DIVINE LOVE AND COMPASSION.

By

John Roberts ( 2002)

(Being more thoughts on a familiar theme).

I sometimes lie a-bed at night, or in the early morning, and find that specific thoughts pass through my mind, which, at the time I feel might well be suitable material for an essay. One morning, (20 June 02) I was thinking about “God” and how men and women conceive Deity. One knows that, primarily, we have trouble thinking about the nature of the Divine Mind. Most religious folk accept the traditional ideas of “God”, handed down from one generation to another. In this present sceptical Age, many folk have no particular idea or belief in a Deity. It has just never entered their minds. Their parents, themselves destitute of any religious or spiritual ideas, have been incapable of conveying to their offspring any sort of concept of a Godhead.

Those of us who do have an idea of God, are usually content to worship our own particular form of Deity, if we bother to worship at all, without enquiring too deeply whether our concepts or beliefs are rational or valid. There are Monotheistic or Polytheistic concepts, together with a host of other ideas as to the nature of the Creator of the Universe. There exist, therefore, numerous forms in the minds of men, regarded as “God” by one Sect or another.

Monotheism, ( worship of one God), which remains absolute in the case of Jews and Moslems, is broken down by Trinitarian Christianity into three component parts, (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). The Catholic and Orthodox Branches further decentralise this idea, by adding a good many lesser deities, or Saints, who perform personal acts of good will for the benefit of the Faithful. The most important of these is that Demi-god who goes by the title of “Our Lady”, or Saint Mary, the Mother of Jesus of Nazareth. This lady has usurped the role formerly filled by the Earth Mother, or Goddess Astarte, (Ashtoreth). She fulfils a vital role in preserving the feminine attributes of Deity and was known under a variety of titles in the Ancient world. “Our Lady” has attained a status within the Catholic and Orthodox Churches on a par with that of God the Son. In some South American communities she seems to take precedence over the latter. Mexico is one example, in which “Our Lady of Guadaloupe” is universally adored.

Hindus, of course, worship an astonishing number of lesser deities but, in principle, acknowledge the Supreme Being, Brahma. At the dawn of civilization, Zoroastrians in Persia recognised a dual Deity – the principle of light and the principle of darkness – Mazda and Ahuramazda. They taught that the whole Universe is involved in the continual struggle between these opposing powers. This is a valid concept and one that is widely accepted today. Muslims believe in the Creator God but also accept the Jewish doctrine of “The Fall”. The influence of Satan is ever present.

As the principle Eastern religions, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and Shinto do not worship a Deity, as comprehended in the Western World, but are more properly philosophical systems, there is no need for me to comment further in respect of those faiths.

The Poet, Rupert Brook, wrote, circa l916, referring to his own future demise, that he would then be, “..a pulse in the eternal mind, no less”. He portrays an idea of the merging of all life in that of the greater, universal intelligence. The idea of an, “Eternal Mind” expresses a belief in one form of survival, not as an individual soul but as a drop in the ocean of the infinite intelligence. Whilst unsatisfactory for those of us who are so arrogant as to seek a condition of post-mortem personal survival, it is less pessimistic than total nihilism. It is certainly a step in the right direction.

I was thinking again about the puny nature of man’s preconceptions and how, in spite of our sense of our own importance and that of the history of civilization itself, it really all boils down to the fact that everything, seen from the viewpoint of the Macrocosm, is puny and utterly irrelevant. All the skulduggery of human activity, our sense of social status, our living-standards, enjoyment of physical comforts, the advantages of modern developments in science and industry: all are entirely vain ostentation. All the great events of human History are, as some wise person has previously uttered, “but pimples on the face of time.” They fester, ripen, erupt and are gone forever. Only a dim recollection remains in folk memory and even this is eventually lost, as nations wax and wane.

What are we really here for and what do we represent? The Hindu’s some four or five thousand years ago, sorted it all out as recorded in the Bhagavad-Gita, how the God, Krishna, advised Arjuna, who was about to engage in battle with foes, many of whom were close blood relatives to himself. He was a member of the Warrior Caste, whose role in life was to fight. Krishna told Arjuna to go into battle, to put aside all qualms regarding the morality of his intended actions: to perform his allotted task and to care naught for the consequences. He cannot alter the case, he must fulfil his destiny and if he dies in the fray, or if he kills other men, then the life is merely transferred into another body and continues to live and to evolve, as before. Nobody is really destroyed and the soul of Man cannot be annihilated. It is immortal! The principle here, is that we all have to live our lives to the utmost, regardless of the result: to fulfil life’s demands and play our part upon the stage of life. Well, it isn’t, in reality, quite so simple as that. We do have to try to resolve life’s problems for ourselves and to live by some personal standard. Whilst we are all to some extent tiny ants in a huge nest, there is some scope for individuality, some opportunity for specialization.

In spite of the fact that we are, indeed, infinitely puny individuals, we are capable of, what may be termed, “higher aspiration”: of growth and development. Herein lies the secret of mankind. We are undoubtedly, the microcosm but, from our own perspective, mankind is endowed with wonderful creative and intuitive gifts. He is capable of philosophical speculation: of moral judgements. He may, indeed, lift his mental processes above those merely necessary for his survival and growth, to contemplation of the reasons for his very existence. He is capable of thoughts about the “Eternal Mind”. When one considers this ability, it immediately follows that the “size” of the human brain is inconsequential. What is important, however, is its capacity. This particular pinprick of a brain, is allowing me to pen these notes at this moment. Whether they will make sense, at all, I do not know. I am merely searching for ideas.

In my “Dream Experiences”, I have occasionally noted that it has been granted me to perceive what may be termed “ecstatic” dreams or visions. These have included a sensation of something, which I later described as “Divine Love and Compassion”, of a paternal\maternal nature, revealing a deep concern for the follies of Mankind. These feelings have been accompanied by an exalted state of rapture, in which I felt that in spite of the existence of evil; supervising and, to some extent, influencing the lives of men and women, was this awareness of a wonderful love and compassion, which is perceived as being of Divine Origin. It is this capacity for personal experience of Divine Guidance, which gives one a real sense of the true value of the human spirit. This topic has been discussed by me previously (In an Essay entitled “The Divine Origin of Man”), yet the subject is so important as to require clarification and elucidation, in order that it may become more widely known and understood.

Questions as to the nature of “God” and of the “Hierarchy of Heaven”, are confusing and multifarious. What is really a very simple equation has become so very complex. Who then is right? Does the “Earth Mother” still have a say in Heavenly proceedings? Are the Gods and Goddesses relevant? Is Jesus the only begotten “Son of the Father? Does he have an important part to play in the judgement of the wicked? From the weight of evidence as to the existence of evil in astonishing proliferation, in our world, it seems that some judgement will be necessary, now or in the future.

All these ideas are merely window dressing. Mankind, for the last five or six thousand years, has been developing many theories and it would be accurate for me to state that the process has been accelerating during the past 150 or so years. Within the past fifty years, indeed, it may be truly be averred that the process has gone crazy.

All the principle systems of religious belief have remained virtually static, still clinging desperately to outmoded forms and processes. The Christian Churches still perform their elaborate rituals, many of their priests, robed in costly silken and gold-embroidered finery. Pomp and Circumstance, indeed, becoming more so with the passage of time. Cosmetic changes are made, as concessions to modernity, yet still people fall away in droves. Doctrines remain the same and the faithful are fed spiritual food that has long since lost its capacity to tickle the transcendental palate. Only in the Non-Conformist sphere is there change, on the fringe of orthodoxy. The New Age Movement has arrived, purporting to teach new and valid doctrines, incorporating to some degree the original precepts but engrafting thereon a host of new forms, many of which, one would suggest, are of a distinctly physical, as opposed to spiritual nature. But this New Age Movement, active and vocal, advertising itself widely, as being prepared to offer services, at a price, hardly touches the bulk of world populations. In the South American countries, for instance, whilst there is much evidence to show that traditional African beliefs are widely held and practised, in conjunction with formal Catholic rites, there does not appear to be evidence of developing maturity or religious change, as if these folk are firmly moulded within a narrow, if complex, religious framework. This may be due, in part, to the hostile reception often meted out in South American countries to Protestant Nonconformist Missionaries, who have been known to disappear without trace, when despatched to convert the nominally catholic people of places like Columbia and Bolivia.

In the nominally Christian countries of Eastern Europe, Poland and Russia, recent activities of Protestant Missionaries have caused annoyance to the authorities, so much so in Russia, that the Orthodox Church has been actively encouraging the secular authorities to prohibit proselytizing activities by these foreign organizations, which are mainly of United States origin. One could readily accept that in country districts, far from large industrial areas, the priests continue to influence the peasantry, very much in the traditional manner.

I lay in bed on the morning of 22 June 2002, when the words of a well-known English hymn passed through my mind:

“Rock of Ages, cleft for me,

Let me hide myself in thee.

Let the water and the blood,

From thy riven side, which flowed.

Be of Sin the double cure,

Cleanse me from its guilt and power.”

This hymn was written by The Rev. Mr. A. M.Toplady, an Anglican divine, at Burrington Combe, Somerset in the l9th Century. Toplady was evidently a depressive type who found his inspiration, on this occasion, as he viewed the massive hill, known as the “Rock of Ages”. This hymn expresses a popular misconception, the “power” of Sin and the subsequent guilt experienced after wrongdoing. The hymn also expresses the doctrine of the Vicarious Atonement of Christ: one of the more ludicrous beliefs in the Christian catechism.

Very many Christians suffer from guilt throughout a lifetime of activity, which rarely involves serious misconduct. We were, undoubtedly, conditioned by ill-conceived doctrines into believing that our “sinful” activities would undoubtedly result in spiritual condemnation in the final analysis of our lives. Toplady expressed his own sense of his personal sinfulness, by praying to be released from the burden of guilt and the power of Sin to induce feelings of chagrin, remorse and unworthiness in the human mind. Toplady is conscious of his own shortcomings and cries out for relief from this double burden. Such a sense of overpowering guilt is peculiarly a phenomenon of Christianity even though, no doubt, both Jewry and Islam also share this particular weakness. This is not to suggest that it is wrong or foolish to be conscious of personal shortcomings and to desire to improve, but to be overwhelmed by a sense of guilt for minor offences, committed years previously, is certainly undesirable and foolish.

I myself thought of the two effects of Sin (wrongdoing): The accumulation of guilt, which so often has dogged the footsteps of man, particularly, where the burden of guilt is a heavy one. The “power” of Sin, is perhaps, more to be described as an effect rather than a power, as such. The effect of Sin is not merely to increase “guilt” but to encourage greater evil-doing. Herein lies the “power” of Sin.

My understanding of these principles has been conditioned by my own perception of the fact that it is possible for everyone to gain an insight into the Divine Nature. This is possible because we are, individually, directly linked to the Divine Source by unseverable ties. A direct link is forged between us, as children of The Creator. It doesn’t matter very much what our concept of God is but it does help for us to know that we possess this link with the Godhead via the medium of prayer: not set forms or priestly mutterings but via the direct offering of the mind in acknowledgement and thanksgiving. It is so important for us to understand this principle, that it will bear repetition again and again. Once this link is cemented we then realize that “God” is “Divine Love and Compassion”. These are simple terms and it is, indeed, true that our relationship to God is, essentially, simple and direct. The Eternal is “Love, all encompassing and Compassionate”: concerned for our well-being and happiness. There is no element of anger in this Love, merely a truly parental affection and concern for our progress in life. Such an idea has no place for judgemental concepts.

Most of our concepts regarding the “Creator” are banal and futile. If, however, we can find it in our hearts to accept the idea of divine guidance in the, admittedly, abstract form of Divine Love and Compassion, at least we are beginning to perceive facts approximating, as far as it is possible for us, to an understanding of how the universe came about. Infinitely minute are we, indeed, yet in spite of this indisputable fact, there must be something within the nature of Man that is of value and use. This “something” is the spark of the Divine that underlies everything in the universe and finds its highest expression in the creative activity of Man himself. It is this ray of Divine Light which can illumine the minds of everyone on Earth.

So all “religion” is encapsulated within this one idea of God as Divine Love and Compassion. There is no other way in which we can begin to understand the nature of the Godhead. Such perception transforms the life of everyone who understands this truth and sweeps away the accumulated dross and glitter of two or more thousand years of sham religion. It points the way of “salvation” directly and clearly for us and gives us a sense of the real value of the human spirit.

As suggested previously, in my writings on The Bible, such an understanding really places one’s life upon a secure foundation and points the way ahead. Anything less than this is an utter waste of time, as we are sure to miss the point of the whole exercise, being the search for knowledge as to the nature of Man and his place in the Universe. Any belief system that throws light upon this all-important qu4estion has to be one that will succeed in the final analysis. Then will all other philosophies be consigned to oblivion. Sadly, for the future condition of humankind, we do not appear to be much nearer to attaining to a solution of this problem. One can merely affirm one’s confidence in a system that envisages a positive, constructive and, ultimately, progressive movement of mankind and the universe, guided and influenced by a Supreme Power, which is only to be comprehended as Divine Love and Compassion.

That such an understanding reveals to us the fact of the Brotherhood of Man, goes without saying, as it breaks down all inter-racial barriers and puts us all, the whole human race, upon an equal footing. We do have mutual and reciprocal obligations towards each and every other person on this Globe and these must be acknowledged if we are to progress in any possible way.

Finis

John Roberts

Sydney,Australia.

23 June 2002.

mailto:robertsjno@bigpond.com

DIVINE LOVE AND COMPASSION

By

John Roberts

(Being more thoughts on a familiar theme).

I sometimes lie abed at night, or in the early morning, and find that specific thoughts pass through my mind, which, at the time I feel might well be suitable material for an essay. One morning, (20 June 02) I was thinking about “God” and how men and women conceive Deity. One knows that, primarily, we have trouble thinking about the nature of the Divine Mind. Most religious folk accept the traditional ideas of “God”, handed down from one generation to another. In this present sceptical Age, many folk have no particular idea or belief in a Deity. It has just never entered their minds. Their parents, themselves destitute of any religious or spiritual ideas, have been incapable of conveying to their offspring any sort of concept of a Godhead.

Those of us who do have an idea of God, are usually content to worship our own particular form of Deity, if we bother to worship at all, without enquiring too deeply whether our concepts or beliefs are rational or valid. There are Monotheistic or Polytheistic concepts, together with a host of other ideas as to the nature of the Creator of the Universe. There exist, therefore, numerous forms in the minds of men, regarded as “God” by one Sect or another.

Monotheism, ( worship of one God), which remains absolute in the case of Jews and Moslems, is broken down by Trinitarian Christianity into three component parts, (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). The Catholic and Orthodox Branches further decentralise this idea, by adding a good many lesser deities, or Saints, who perform personal acts of good will for the benefit of the Faithful. The most important of these is that Demi-god who goes by the title of “Our Lady”, or Saint Mary, the Mother of Jesus of Nazareth. This lady has usurped the role formerly filled by the Earth Mother, or Goddess Astarte, (Ashtoreth). She fulfils a vital role in preserving the feminine attributes of Deity and was known under a variety of titles in the Ancient world. “Our Lady” has attained a status within the Catholic and Orthodox Churches on a par with that of God the Son. In some South American communities she seems to take precedence over the latter. Mexico is one example, in which “Our Lady of Guadaloupe” is universally adored.

Hindus, of course, worship an astonishing number of lesser deities but, in principle, acknowledge the Supreme Being, Brahma. At the dawn of civilization, Zoroastrians in Persia recognised a dual Deity – the principle of light and the principle of darkness – Mazda and Ahuramazda. They taught that the whole Universe is involved in the continual struggle between these opposing powers. This is a valid concept and one that is widely accepted today. Muslims believe in the Creator God but also accept the Jewish doctrine of “The Fall”. The influence of Satan is ever present.

As the principle Eastern religions, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and Shinto do not worship a Deity, as comprehended in the Western World, but are more properly philosophical systems, there is no need for me to comment further in respect of those faiths.

The Poet, Rupert Brook, wrote, circa l916, referring to his own future demise, that he would then be, “..a pulse in the eternal mind, no less”. He portrays an idea of the merging of all life in that of the greater, universal intelligence. The idea of an, “Eternal Mind” expresses a belief in one form of survival, not as an individual soul but as a drop in the ocean of the infinite intelligence. Whilst unsatisfactory for those of us who are so arrogant as to seek a condition of post-mortem personal survival, it is less pessimistic than total nihilism. It is certainly a step in the right direction.

I was thinking again about the puny nature of man’s preconceptions and how, in spite of our sense of our own importance and that of the history of civilization itself, it really all boils down to the fact that everything, seen from the viewpoint of the Macrocosm, is puny and utterly irrelevant. All the skulduggery of human activity, our sense of social status, our living-standards, enjoyment of physical comforts, the advantages of modern developments in science and industry: all are entirely vain ostentation. All the great events of human History are, as some wise person has previously uttered, “but pimples on the face of time.” They fester, ripen, erupt and are gone forever. Only a dim recollection remains in folk memory and even this is eventually lost, as nations wax and wane.

What are we really here for and what do we represent? The Hindu’s some four or five thousand years ago, sorted it all out as recorded in the Bhagavad-Gita, how the God, Krishna, advised Arjuna, who was about to engage in battle with foes, many of whom were close blood relatives to himself. He was a member of the Warrior Caste, whose role in life was to fight. Krishna told Arjuna to go into battle, to put aside all qualms regarding the morality of his intended actions: to perform his allotted task and to care naught for the consequences. He cannot alter the case, he must fulfil his destiny and if he dies in the fray, or if he kills other men, then the life is merely transferred into another body and continues to live and to evolve, as before. Nobody is really destroyed and the soul of Man cannot be annihilated. It is immortal! The principle here, is that we all have to live our lives to the utmost, regardless of the result: to fulfil life’s demands and play our part upon the stage of life. Well, it isn’t, in reality, quite so simple as that. We do have to try to resolve life’s problems for ourselves and to live by some personal standard. Whilst we are all to some extent tiny ants in a huge nest, there is some scope for individuality, some opportunity for specialization.

In spite of the fact that we are, indeed, infinitely puny individuals, we are capable of, what may be termed, “higher aspiration”: of growth and development. Herein lies the secret of mankind. We are undoubtedly, the microcosm but, from our own perspective, mankind is endowed with wonderful creative and intuitive gifts. He is capable of philosophical speculation: of moral judgements. He may, indeed, lift his mental processes above those merely necessary for his survival and growth, to contemplation of the reasons for his very existence. He is capable of thoughts about the “Eternal Mind”. When one considers this ability, it immediately follows that the “size” of the human brain is inconsequential. What is important, however, is its capacity. This particular pinprick of a brain, is allowing me to pen these notes at this moment. Whether they will make sense, at all, I do not know. I am merely searching for ideas.

In my “Dream Experiences”, I have occasionally noted that it has been granted me to perceive what may be termed “ecstatic” dreams or visions. These have included a sensation of something, which I later described as “Divine Love and Compassion”, of a paternal\maternal nature, revealing a deep concern for the follies of Mankind. These feelings have been accompanied by an exalted state of rapture, in which I felt that in spite of the existence of evil; supervising and, to some extent, influencing the lives of men and women, was this awareness of a wonderful love and compassion, which is perceived as being of Divine Origin. It is this capacity for personal experience of Divine Guidance, which gives one a real sense of the true value of the human spirit. This topic has been discussed by me previously (In an Essay entitled “The Divine Origin of Man”), yet the subject is so important as to require clarification and elucidation, in order that it may become more widely known and understood.

Questions as to the nature of “God” and of the “Hierarchy of Heaven”, are confusing and multifarious. What is really a very simple equation has become so very complex. Who then is right? Does the “Earth Mother” still have a say in Heavenly proceedings? Are the Gods and Goddesses relevant? Is Jesus the only begotten “Son of the Father? Does he have an important part to play in the judgement of the wicked? From the weight of evidence as to the existence of evil in astonishing proliferation, in our world, it seems that some judgement will be necessary, now or in the future.

All these ideas are merely window dressing. Mankind, for the last five or six thousand years, has been developing many theories and it would be accurate for me to state that the process has been accelerating during the past 150 or so years. Within the past fifty years, indeed, it may be truly be averred that the process has gone crazy.

All the principle systems of religious belief have remained virtually static, still clinging desperately to outmoded forms and processes. The Christian Churches still perform their elaborate rituals, many of their priests, robed in costly silken and gold-embroidered finery. Pomp and Circumstance, indeed, becoming more so with the passage of time. Cosmetic changes are made, as concessions to modernity, yet still people fall away in droves. Doctrines remain the same and the faithful are fed spiritual food that has long since lost its capacity to tickle the transcendental palate. Only in the Non-Conformist sphere is there change, on the fringe of orthodoxy. The New Age Movement has arrived, purporting to teach new and valid doctrines, incorporating to some degree the original precepts but engrafting thereon a host of new forms, many of which, one would suggest, are of a distinctly physical, as opposed to spiritual nature. But this New Age Movement, active and vocal, advertising itself widely, as being prepared to offer services, at a price, hardly touches the bulk of world populations. In the South American countries, for instance, whilst there is much evidence to show that traditional African beliefs are widely held and practised, in conjunction with formal Catholic rites, there does not appear to be evidence of developing maturity or religious change, as if these folk are firmly moulded within a narrow, if complex, religious framework. This may be due, in part, to the hostile reception often meted out in South American countries to Protestant Nonconformist Missionaries, who have been known to disappear without trace, when despatched to convert the nominally catholic people of places like Columbia and Bolivia.

In the nominally Christian countries of Eastern Europe, Poland and Russia, recent activities of Protestant Missionaries have caused annoyance to the authorities, so much so in Russia, that the Orthodox Church has been actively encouraging the secular authorities to prohibit proselytizing activities by these foreign organizations, which are mainly of United States origin. One could readily accept that in country districts, far from large industrial areas, the priests continue to influence the peasantry, very much in the traditional manner.

I lay in bed on the morning of 22 June 2002, when the words of a well-known English hymn passed through my mind:

“Rock of Ages, cleft for me,

Let me hide myself in thee.

Let the water and the blood,

From thy riven side, which flowed.

Be of Sin the double cure,

Cleanse me from its guilt and power.”

This hymn was written by The Rev. Mr. A. M.Toplady, an Anglican divine, at Burrington Combe, Somerset in the l9th Century. Toplady was evidently a depressive type who found his inspiration, on this occasion, as he viewed the massive hill, known as the “Rock of Ages”. This hymn expresses a popular misconception, the “power” of Sin and the subsequent guilt experienced after wrongdoing. The hymn also expresses the doctrine of the Vicarious Atonement of Christ: one of the more ludicrous beliefs in the Christian catechism.

Very many Christians suffer from guilt throughout a lifetime of activity, which rarely involves serious misconduct. We were, undoubtedly, conditioned by ill-conceived doctrines into believing that our “sinful” activities would undoubtedly result in spiritual condemnation in the final analysis of our lives. Toplady expressed his own sense of his personal sinfulness, by praying to be released from the burden of guilt and the power of Sin to induce feelings of chagrin, remorse and unworthiness in the human mind. Toplady is conscious of his own shortcomings and cries out for relief from this double burden. Such a sense of overpowering guilt is peculiarly a phenomenon of Christianity even though, no doubt, both Jewry and Islam also share this particular weakness. This is not to suggest that it is wrong or foolish to be conscious of personal shortcomings and to desire to improve, but to be overwhelmed by a sense of guilt for minor offences, committed years previously, is certainly undesirable and foolish.

I myself thought of the two effects of Sin (wrongdoing): The accumulation of guilt, which so often has dogged the footsteps of man, particularly, where the burden of guilt is a heavy one. The “power” of Sin, is perhaps, more to be described as an effect rather than a power, as such. The effect of Sin is not merely to increase “guilt” but to encourage greater evil-doing. Herein lies the “power” of Sin.

My understanding of these principles has been conditioned by my own perception of the fact that it is possible for everyone to gain an insight into the Divine Nature. This is possible because we are, individually, directly linked to the Divine Source by unseverable ties. A direct link is forged between us, as children of The Creator. It doesn’t matter very much what our concept of God is but it does help for us to know that we possess this link with the Godhead via the medium of prayer: not set forms or priestly mutterings but via the direct offering of the mind in acknowledgement and thanksgiving. It is so important for us to understand this principle, that it will bear repetition again and again. Once this link is cemented we then realize that “God” is “Divine Love and Compassion”. These are simple terms and it is, indeed, true that our relationship to God is, essentially, simple and direct. The Eternal is “Love, all encompassing and Compassionate”: concerned for our well-being and happiness. There is no element of anger in this Love, merely a truly parental affection and concern for our progress in life. Such an idea has no place for judgemental concepts.

Most of our concepts regarding the “Creator” are banal and futile. If, however, we can find it in our hearts to accept the idea of divine guidance in the, admittedly, abstract form of Divine Love and Compassion, at least we are beginning to perceive facts approximating, as far as it is possible for us, to an understanding of how the universe came about. Infinitely minute are we, indeed, yet in spite of this indisputable fact, there must be something within the nature of Man that is of value and use. This “something” is the spark of the Divine that underlies everything in the universe and finds its highest expression in the creative activity of Man himself. It is this ray of Divine Light which can illumine the minds of everyone on Earth.

So all “religion” is encapsulated within this one idea of God as Divine Love and Compassion. There is no other way in which we can begin to understand the nature of the Godhead. Such perception transforms the life of everyone who understands this truth and sweeps away the accumulated dross and glitter of two or more thousand years of sham religion. It points the way of “salvation” directly and clearly for us and gives us a sense of the real value of the human spirit.

As suggested previously, in my writings on The Bible, such an understanding really places one’s life upon a secure foundation and points the way ahead. Anything less than this is an utter waste of time, as we are sure to miss the point of the whole exercise, being the search for knowledge as to the nature of Man and his place in the Universe. Any belief system that throws light upon this all-important qu4estion has to be one that will succeed in the final analysis. Then will all other philosophies be consigned to oblivion. Sadly, for the future condition of humankind, we do not appear to be much nearer to attaining to a solution of this problem. One can merely affirm one’s confidence in a system that envisages a positive, constructive and, ultimately, progressive movement of mankind and the universe, guided and influenced by a Supreme Power, which is only to be comprehended as Divine Love and Compassion.

That such an understanding reveals to us the fact of the Brotherhood of Man, goes without saying, as it breaks down all inter-racial barriers and puts us all, the whole human race, upon an equal footing. We do have mutual and reciprocal obligations towards each and every other person on this Globe and these must be acknowledged, if we are to progress in any possible way.

Finis

John Roberts

Sydney,Australia.

23 June 2002.

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