Strong  and  Mighty

from  The Slender Thread

Martin Exeter   December 20, 1981

It is very obvious that there is a strong compulsion in the world toward self-destruction. This may be classified as an irrational compulsion, but present nevertheless. It seems almost inevitable, to those who are in position to observe what is happening, that the end result would be fatal to the human race. We all are well aware that there is considerable nuclear overkill present on earth, capable of being released by particular individuals who may or may not be all that rational. This is merely one aspect of the destructive expectation. There are other ways by which it might be brought about, perhaps not quite so suddenly.

This compulsion to self-destruction springs out of the mass unconscious. The mass unconscious is present with each person, so that these influences are everywhere in effect in human experience. It is easy to see how others behave irrationally, but we may have suspected that the same was probably true of us as long as the compulsion sprang out of this mass consciousness. There are those who have investigated to see why the compulsion is present in the mass consciousness. It doesn't really matter; the fact is that it is there and the influence is strong, so that human beings left to their own devices would certainly destroy themselves from the face of the earth.

I wonder how vividly this is known in our own consciousness. It is an expectation that tends to be swept under the carpet if possible, because it seems such an immensely terrible thing. It is important to face the matter, however, particularly for those who aspire to be Emissaries of Divine Light, because here is the viable alternative to the complete self-destruction of the human race—I wonder how vividly that is in the consciousness of those who aspire to be Emissaries of Divine Light. If it was clear, I think much of what has happened heretofore, in the attitudes and the words and the actions and the thoughts and the feelings of those who so aspire, would not have occurred. The fate, if we could put it that way, of the human race hangs upon a rather slender thread. And, by the way, we are included in the human race, you know.

So there is this strong destructive compulsion arising out of the mass consciousness in the experience of all human beings, perhaps in varying degrees of intensity. As I say, left to follow out their own devices human beings have condemned themselves. We have been richly blessed to become aware of another way to go. That way only becomes real in the experience of anyone when what rises up out of the mass consciousness no longer has the capability of directing the individual's existence but is supplanted by the creative influence of life itself. Mankind has been, and is, polarized in death, so death, both individually and collectively, is the ultimate conclusion. This springs out of the premise of death. Those who deal in death die; those who express life live. The truth of this statement is rather obvious.

So there is the mass consciousness, with the great red dragon there, dominating human experience. But there is also available, not out of the mass consciousness certainly, but out of a heavenly consciousness, what is capable of bringing life, of changing the polarity of human beings on earth to life instead of death. This alternative can only be introduced into the world of mankind and into human experience as there are those individual human beings whose own living comes out of this heaven rather than out of the hell of the mass consciousness.

The great red dragon, who has in these days become apparently so immense, exerts the destructive influence upon people everywhere. Here is the premise of death, and the conclusion is death. But we have some awareness, at least, that there is a premise of life, the conclusion to which would be life. This we would speak of as a true premise, but it requires human individuals living on earth to prove the truth of it, so that no longer can they be influenced and compelled by the destructive nature of what springs out of the mass consciousness.

The truth can never be proven as long as a person remains subject to what rises up out of the mass consciousness in his own experience. We know the sort of things that rise up there: fear, jealousy, greed. Here are three particular points of focus in this regard which operate quite extensively in human existence. Because of these types of influence arising out of the mass consciousness human beings react to each other on the basis of like and dislike, on the basis of human judgments of all kinds, on the basis of defensiveness and hostility. Obviously all this relates to what is rising up out of the mass consciousness. If we still willingly let such things control in our own experience we could be accounted to have failed, failed in this most glorious and supreme opportunity that has been offered to us.

Does what is present in the mass consciousness still have the ability to claim allegiance? I rejoice to see that there certainly is more concern with the true experience of life than there has been in times past, but do you think that is enough? Do you think there have not been people all down through the ages who had such a concern? But now, the way things have come to focus in the world, the supreme opportunity is here. The key is in what was portrayed by Michael and his angels contending with the dragon and his angels. Unless there are those dwelling on earth who cannot be seduced by any of the many heads of the dragon the inevitable result of complete destructiveness is assured.

Here is the thread upon which the whole human race hangs. Who, of all the people in the world, have the supreme responsibility of providing what is necessary? Only those who have come to know what is necessary. You here this morning are included in those. How much has been maintained yet of the influence out of the mass consciousness in the individual's daily existence? Unless there is something absolutely clear in this regard there is no hope whatsoever for the human race. I suppose it might be said, perhaps there are some others hiding somewhere that we have not seen around who are really doing it now and we can depend on them. Do you think we should take the chance? I don't think such people exist. Here are the ones. Let us not have the attitude—Let it be by the hand of another. I don't know who that other is, do you?

What shall dominate, what shall control in our own individual, momentary living? That is the question. Is our polarity in life? Life is characterized by love and truth. We have known this principle for a long time. Only when our love is rightly centered, centered in an absolute sense, is the influence out of the mass consciousness of mankind no longer capable of determining our behavior. Does it seem as though such absoluteness borders on fanaticism? If we interpret it that way, then I suppose you could say that fanaticism is necessary. I don't think it is fanaticism. I think it is exactly what is natural in human experience. It certainly does not produce anything unbalanced; it causes a person to become capable of a true perspective of understanding relative to all fields of observation. It brings balance emotionally; it brings balance in what is done, in what is said, in what is thought, in what is felt. That doesn't sound like fanaticism to me. Certainly one-pointedness is necessary.

Words were used long ago, translated into English as “Get thee hence, Satan.” What on earth does that mean? It applies of course to all those influences and compulsions that arise out of the mass consciousness of mankind. We are hooked up to that. But there is another source, and it is the source of life. We know something of the quality of that source. We have seen it exemplified in some measure. We have known it to some extent in our own experience. Until it becomes absolute, however, there is nothing present on earth to change the direction of mankind so that they no longer head for oblivion.

There are many people on earth who see the prospect of oblivion but who do not know what to do about it. It all seems so absolutely inevitable. There are those who are still whistling in the dark of course, but it becomes more and more apparent to more and more people that oblivion is in the offing. Some cry unto the Lord in their distresses. Perhaps we did that along the way, and He saved us out of our troubles, to this point at least. But why? For what purpose? That we may get into trouble again? This has been the repetitive experience of human beings the world around: “Save us, Lord, lest we perish.” Well that hasn't happened, collectively at least, so far. But there comes a day of judgment, the last judgment as they say. What shall that day bring? Oblivion to the human race? Or salvation? I doubt if it is possible to save the human race in toto; after all, there are millions dying every day, so that is perhaps not to be anticipated.

The way the world is, the threat of oblivion is made quite obvious to anyone who has the sense or the courage to look at it. And all this has been brought about by human beings themselves subject to the mass consciousness of humanity, or what is present in it, described as a great red dragon. Because people everywhere are subject to this the inevitability of oblivion is obvious. Only when there is a point which is not subject to that, present on earth by reason of particular human beings, is there any alternative. Most people are very reluctant so far to acknowledge this. They are not in very good position to recognize the nature and quality of that alternative anyway; they never have been. But for some obscure reason we have been raised up sufficiently to see it. As human beings we might say, “Why us?” Does that question need to be answered? I don't think so, if it happens to be us. We just need to acknowledge responsibility and take the necessary steps to let this new experience be ours. It is a new experience; it is not a modified old experience—that is about what it has been so far. It is a new state. You may find it hard to imagine, perhaps, a state where you yourself are not giving body and expression to what rises up out of the mass consciousness because you are giving expression to something else, and you are giving expression to something else so strongly and so consistently that there is no opportunity whatsoever for anything to rise up in influence upon you out of the mass consciousness of humanity. That is the way it happens.

But giving expression to this which is new, is new. It is totally what has not been known before. There is an inclination to take hesitant steps in this regard, toe in the water, just test it out a little and then draw back. I suppose there have been people doing this for thousands of years. Finally, drawing back, they fall back, and that is the end of it. But now is the day when the plunge must be made—come on in, the water's fine!—that there may be on earth what we have been speaking about for some time, a collective focus point of orientation and authority, a group of people, a group of individual human beings, who can no longer be seduced by the devil.

Of course, let us not look at it perhaps from that direction. That is the outlook which tends to assert itself with those who can be seduced by the devil. They are looking for the day when they cannot be, which is an acknowledgment of the fact that now they can be. How about those whose sole expression in living is of the angel of the Lord made manifest, a strong and mighty angel? These are two adjectives which may be used to describe the character of the angel: strong and mighty—no consideration at all of what influences have been relinquished, just a consideration of the nature and quality of what it is that is being expressed. And when that is strong and mighty the human race has a chance.

We are reminded of these things—perhaps because we still need to be reminded. Oh for the day when no reminders are anymore necessary because the fact is there, consistently there. What a wonder, what a glorious fulfilment this is. Then the tragic drama can be wound up; the curtain can fall on it: Thank God, the show is over!

“The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” Do we really know that? Or is it just a belief? It must be known, so that there are those present who live in that knowing, who live in the kingdom here and now, who are aware in their own living of the power and who reveal consistently the glory. Can we be where we are, in the very circumstances where we find ourselves, associated with the very people who are around us, and reveal the truth? Can we do it, do you think? Can we let it happen? Of course. It just takes an honest willingness to accept that particular responsibility. Then it doesn't matter who is around us, it doesn't matter what the circumstance is. Anything, whatever it is, whoever is present, is perfect.

That is tremendous; it gives us our opportunity to prove the truth in our own living, to handle those things as they should be handled, in the power and the strength of the Lord. Then we have no particular self-centered expectations anymore, and certainly we would never take an attitude, “Well I can't be expected to function correctly in this situation; I must be nasty because somebody else is making me nasty.” Oh, they have the power to do that, do they? There is your god. No! Thine, O Lord, is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, now and forever. So it is established. So may it be in our own experience consistently. Let it be so in all the days to come.

© Emissaries of Divine Light