The True Seeker

Only when the lamp of search, of earnest striving, of longing desire, of passionate devotion, of fervid love, of rapture, and ecstasy, is kindled within the seeker’s heart, and the breeze of His loving-kindness is wafted upon his soul, will the darkness of error be dispelled, the mists of doubts and misgivings be dissipated, and the lights of knowledge and certitude envelop his being. At that hour will the Mystic Herald, bearing the joyful tidings of the Spirit, shine forth from the City of God resplendent as the morn, and, through the trumpet-blast of knowledge, will awaken the heart, the soul, and the spirit from the slumber of heedlessness. Then will the manifold favors and outpouring grace of the holy and everlasting Spirit confer such new life upon the seeker that he will find himself endowed with a new eye, a new ear, a new heart, and a new mind. He will contemplate the manifest signs of the universe, and will penetrate the hidden mysteries of the soul. Gazing with the eye of God, he will perceive within every atom a door that leadeth him to the stations of absolute certitude.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Be Fearless, Yet Fearful

In high school I went with a friend of mine to her church. I remember one of the pastors mentioned his previous struggles with the drugs and promiscuous sex, "to put the devil to shame." First off, looking at that logically, just as Lillian's attempts to torture Hank Rearden for his infidelity were futile because of his lack of moral rectitude in Atlas Shrugged, how can one hope to embarrass a supposed entity that takes pride in such dissuasion from righteousness?

More fundamentally and more importantly, though, the pastor's comment conveyed a prevalent fear of the devil. Whether it's Satan, the devil, the Evil Whisperer, Covenant breakers, or one's lower nature - the satanic self, too much energy is often wasted on complaining of it's power and control. But doesn't this attitude only render us helpless and grant them power and control over us?

Consider what happens when we "dwell not on the unpleasant things of life" and heed these words:

"O SON OF MAN! Thou art My dominion and My dominion perisheth not; wherefore fearest thou thy perishing? Thou art My light and My light shall never be extinguished; why dost thou dread extinction? Thou art My glory and My glory fadeth not; thou art My robe and My robe shall never be outworn. Abide then in thy love for me, that thou mayest find Me in the real of glory." Baha'u'llah, HWA # 14

"Walk ye in the fear of God, and be numbered with the righteous." Baha'u'llah, Súrih of the Temple, para. 32

"...how fearful, how vehement is His might, and how justly doth He wield it! He, verily, ruleth and transcendeth all who are in the heavens and on the earth..." Baha'u'llah, Súrih of the Temple, para. 34

We recognize that God's strength, with which He has endowed each one of us, trumps fleeting passions and worldly desires, and we use His power to overcome them. For those moments when we loose the motivation to do this, we cleave to the fear of GOD. God is the Possessor of all power, not Satan. Fearing God's wrath guides us along the straight path, and is different from running around trying to escape sin.

(By the way, the people in that church were also aflame with enthusiasm in harmonious musical praise of Jesus, the Spirit of God. )
Posted by at
Labels: ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)