The Holy Earth

The  Holy  Earth

Martin Exeter   April 7, 1985

We stand on holy ground. In the physical sense we can't move anywhere, walk anywhere, without walking on holy ground. We can see this in terms of the earth itself, the planet where we dwell. This earth is holy. When there is that recognition because we do take our shoes from off our feet, so that we may begin to understand the way things really are, at the same time we see how this earth has been desecrated by human beings for their own purposes. This is, even now, in spite of that desecration, a beautiful planet, upon the surface of which we are privileged to walk.

How many people on the face of the earth know that it is a privilege to walk on the surface of this planet? What is present is deemed by human beings to be for their benefit, to do with as they please. We have noted in times past how the earth, the Mother, has been raped. The surface of the planet has changed over the millennia. We have some awareness of the nature of those changes, or some of them at least, in the sense of cataclysms of various sorts. Actually it is only in rather recent centuries that things have calmed down to the extent that they have, which allowed human speculation to assume that the earth has always been a more or less peaceful place underfoot. It comes as a shock sometimes for those who have been in earthquakes to find out that the earth isn't all that stable on occasion. This is one of the experiences which tends to bring panic. It both gives indication that what was considered to be a stable foundation may not be so, and also it triggers memories—maybe not personal memories, but what might be called race memories—relative to prior cataclysms. And fear, of course, is generated. The fact that all these things that have occurred on the surface of this planet were brought to pass by human failure emphasizes the factor of fear, as well as guilt and shame. We all have deep-down memories of that failure, and therefore there is a fear of the consequences.

It is interesting that the surface of this planet has been more or less calm for the last two thousand years. There have been various occasions of earthquake and volcanic eruption, which at the time seemed rather horrendous, but compared to what has occurred before the presence of our Master on earth, what has happened since has been very stable. There might be some recognition that there is a connection between the presence of the Master on earth and the stability that ensued in the planetary sense. Of course there hasn't been that much stability insofar as human behavior is concerned, and advantage has been taken of the stable planetary condition to wreak considerable havoc on the surface of the planet. It doesn't seem that there is any need for cataclysmic events anymore; human beings are going to cause them anyway with their advanced technology.

Awakening from the dream, we become aware that we stand on holy ground. The earth is indeed a sacred place, created so that God—and I use that word quite aware that there is no way by which anyone may know what the word means in the human nature state—could be present in this planet and walk on the surface of it. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God.” This accurately refers to the reason for this planet: the Word relating to man who was with God, not separate from God. And so the Word was God, walking on the surface of the planet. This is inconceivable, I suppose, to human nature. It seems to be blasphemy to human nature. Well, of course, human nature and God don't mix. But this wasn't human nature; this was the true nature of man.

The true nature of man is God. God is a word which in a very specific sense describes the character, the nature, of man. This certainly does not indicate that all that God is is man, but all that man is is God, rightly. Awakening to this awareness, then the setting in which we find ourselves, the earth itself, is seen to be a sacred place, a holy place. Mention is made in the Old Testament of God communing with man; but of course the state at that time was a state of separation, so it was apparent in human consciousness that God was someplace else—maybe in the tabernacle—and it was possible through the hierarchy of the priesthood to commune with God. This was a way of introducing those concerned to a dawning awareness of the closeness of God and man. There was still a separation at that point. An understanding of the oneness was not possible beyond the idea of one God.

Carrying the implications of that idea further, it may be seen that there is one way by which God can walk on this planet, and the facility is man. That facility has been removed from God. We are quite aware of that; we are quite aware of the experience of human nature, a state of separation. If we have in times past thought about God, our view has tended to be of someone, or a figure, whatever, a spirit, separate from oneself. If you've ever been in a tight spot and your sophistication was ruptured, you may under that circumstance have cried unto the Lord in your troubles, anticipating that you would be delivered out of your distresses. And that may have happened. In such a stress circumstance human beings do cry unto the Lord. They don't know where He is or who He is or how He could help, but coming to a crisis point the inclination is to say, “I can't do any more, now it's up to God,” as though human beings were created to have the first crack at it. All this, of course, emphasizes a state of separation and the evidence of that state of separation is the state of separation that exists between individual human beings.

There are those with whom we would like to be close, and we try in various ways to nudge up against them; but no matter what we do we still find ourselves in a state of separation. And there is no way to dissolve that state of separation without experiencing the truth of oneness with God, the truth of being God in expression on earth. If all experience that truth, all are one. It should not be difficult to understand that the expression of God would require more than one person. It would be very limiting to the expression of God, would it not, if there was only one person to do it. This has tended to be the attitude taken toward Jesus Christ: “He's the one who's going to do it.” And we can gaze with rapt attention and adoration at the revelation, but obviously, when one person does it, as He did in that circumstance, it is incomprehensible. It becomes comprehensible when it is differentiated. And that takes everyone.

I would not suggest that we should judge in the matter, but it could be that there are indeed too many people on earth to allow for the clear-cut revelation of God. What number of people are needful to let this happen is something that is none of our business, we might say. Our business is: “What's going to happen because of me?” Fussing about the revelation through somebody else would simply detract from the revelation through ourselves. There is no need for it. We have a very specific responsibility, and it can be carried because we do indeed walk on holy ground.

This earth is designed to support, to reveal, the beauty of God in action, and that action comes because of man. A statement that man was originally created in the image and likeness of God is just a faint effort to describe the truth of oneness. And so we return to oneness. But we can't return to oneness without having respect for the holiness of the ground upon which we walk, respect for how we tread upon this ground and what we do with it. In human nature it is used for human purposes. Human beings imagine they have a right to it; they try to possess it in their own names. Anyone here own any property? Who recognizes that ownership? Human nature. There are records which may tell us that we own this piece of property, apart from the mortgage of course. But it's not true, is it? unless we ourselves are one with God.

“The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” This is a very accurate statement, disputed by human beings constantly. But coming back to stand upon the earth in an awareness of the holiness of this planet, we know that it is for this divine purpose that the planet exists: that God may walk upon the earth and do what is made possible by reason of the fact that He does walk on the surface of the planet. Obviously there is an infinite variety of possibilities throughout the universe, but there is a very particular and specific one related to this planet.

This planet is not something all on its own. It's part of a larger body; we could call it the solar body. And we are aware that the solar body itself is a part of something greater still. But there is a reason for this planet, a reason for man to be living on the surface of it. Of course it might be said that he isn't now living on the surface of it; there is another peculiar creature, an interloper, a usurper, who's come in and tried to take possession of the land in his own name. The result is an absolutely insoluble dilemma. I'm sure, as we look around in the world, we are aware that virtually anything that is done will only make matters worse, even though it is done by someone with the best of intentions. Human action constantly and consistently makes matters worse. Good intentions have no bearing at all.

These worsening conditions, the worsening state, is indication of the passing of human nature. It is passing in a painful way, in a way which involves great tribulation. Perhaps we haven't seen anything yet in that regard, because things necessarily get worse, until there are those who do awaken and begin to allow the truth of man, the Word made flesh, to be brought into expression once again upon this planet. There is no answer otherwise. Human nature must go. It was said long ago that the prince of this world is lost. The prince of this world is human nature. Human nature is lost. As we noted, in every generation it's lost, but it reaches a point where it is totally lost. And if we have any vision, because we have awakened, we welcome that loss. The loss of human nature is in process.

We have a responsibility in this to allow this loss to be as easy as possible. I don't think it is likely to be very easy, but with the least tribulation, shall we say, because the opportunity for creative integration is made freely available. There is a shining light. And so we walk with care, with understanding, with a sense of the sacredness of being privileged to do so, on the surface of this planet. We don't look upon our presence here as being a burden or a labor. It is a delight that, once again, because we walk upon the surface of this planet, this planet may reflect the fact of being a holy place. We don't make it into a holy place, any more than we made the sun rise this morning. We let it be what it is: a holy place. We don't try to make it so by ecological efforts.

In our own fields of operations we do what is right on the basis of the action of the truth of our own being. This may include cultivating the garden; it may include putting manure on the fields; it may include milking the cows and the goats. It may include many things, but these things are all done not on the basis of some big deal but because it is the natural thing to do in the moment. We do what needs to be done in the moment, and we do not have great visions of how we are going to organize the surface of this planet so that it beams ecologically perfect according to some human concept. That would never happen. For one thing, human beings never agree. Human beings are unlikely to agree, because the spirit of agreement is in God, and if God is rejected in favor of human endeavor, then there can't be any agreement. And the state of disagreement in the world is a natural thing consequent upon the way human beings behave, the way they maintain the state of separation.

There is only one way by which this insoluble dilemma on earth may be resolved and that is by the passing of human nature. The passing of human nature may bring nothing. In other words human nature passes, there's nothing left. It will pass. We are concerned that this sacred, holy planet should remain for the use of God. For this to occur there must be those present on this planet with the true nature of man. Let human nature pass away because the true nature of man comes forth. This factually is our sole concern—the Word made flesh—not just one man this time but a body composed of many letting the light shine. On that basis human nature can pass away without leaving the earth a desert, but that is the only way it can happen.

I am the way, the truth, and the life. This is the Word made flesh, is it not? We each assume that responsibility individually, and on that basis we know oneness WITH God; we are WITH God once again. And being WITH God, we ARE God in expression, in action, on earth. Is that too much? Who knows really what it is? Let's find out.

© Emissaries of Divine Light