Setting The World On Fire
Martin Cecil August 13, 1966
This proper experience of the external manifestation of something solid and sure relates to what we have spoken of as the third creative day, when the earth force is active; the dry land appears, something solid. But we need to remember that there were at least four more creative days to complete the cycle. Nevertheless human beings tend to flourish on this third day. Human beings become pleased with themselves. The fourth day related to the fourth creative force, namely fire.
Now these succeeding days follow in sequence, as we know. We can't skip anything. The solid state must be present on earth if the fire is to appear. It was described, rather poorly to my way of thinking, in the Bible, as “cloven tongues of fire which sat upon each of them.” I think somehow or other the translation is inadequate, of the original, or whoever wrote the original didn't know too well what was happening. It sounds rather a meek sort of experience, doesn't it?—nothing very exciting. It doesn't sound like a blazing fire, does it? And of course this is the thing, isn't it? Human beings tend to soft-pedal any real feeling experience as it relates to God and the things of God. Why? Partly, at least, because they are afraid of it. Of course there are some folk who indulge themselves a little bit in emotional experience. I am not suggesting that this is the way, because necessarily first comes this solid bit. There must be stability and balance and a proving out of these things, so that we are not going to be pushed around by emotionalism.
But at the same time we need to be careful that we don't get so fixed that nothing will move us except possibly a nuclear explosion, because this is one way that the fire can come, and momentarily we might know that it was coming, but not for long. This is the same fire, you know, basically, but appearing destructively. It is the fire of God's love appearing destructively. Why does it appear destructively? Obviously because human beings are not in position, are not willing to accept it on a creative basis. They are not interested particularly in divine purpose or the fulfilment of God's will, but in their own purposes and their own wills; consequently the only experience of the fire of God's love will inevitably be a destructive one on that basis. We know this. And there may have been occasions when we ourselves have placed ourselves athwart the fire of God's love and gotten burned. It was uncomfortable, unpleasant. If it was sufficiently so, perhaps we woke up and did something about it. If it goes too far, of course it is too late. And it could go too far one day for the whole world of mankind.
So we are certainly concerned to allow God's love, the fire of God's love, to work creatively. And what will it do? Wouldn't it set the world on fire? I think it would do much the same thing as the nuclear explosion insofar as fire was concerned, but it would be different; there would be a difference in the experience: the creative fire of God's love, which is capable of making all things new. Now how is it going to appear?
The nuclear kind appears through man's brilliant intellect. He has so much knowledge that he is able to do this—send the world up in flames. What an achievement—real progress! This can be seen as a symbol of something, a portrayal of something creative. The world needs to go up in flames, everyone in it needs to go up in flames, but not be destroyed in consequence. We need to rise up in the fire of God's love. And if that fire is to appear it must appear through those who are in position to let it appear on a creative basis rather than on a destructive basis. And this leads from the solid state of the third day to the fourth creative day, the day of fire. I think it was Peter, wasn't it, who said something about the earth being reserved unto fire? It is—no more flood!—fire this time. But what sort of fire? The fire that is going to burn everyone up to a cinder? Maybe. Maybe, if we are so dumb as to let it be that way. It could well be. Or on the other hand it could be the real fire in creative expression, which allows all things to be made new.
Now of course the vast majority of people on the earth would be most unwilling to let all things be made new. Isn't that right? Would we—all things? Or would we reserve a little? Would we hold out a little on one side and say, “Well this is all right. We'll take this along with us. This is good”? And people everywhere have their “good” things. There is obviously a tremendous unwillingness to let anything very much be made new; let's not delude ourselves. And it is this very unwillingness that is leading mankind into the experience of the destructive fire, where it will all be wiped out anyway. Why not be willing to let go of it before it is wiped out? because if it is wiped out we will be wiped out with it. Why not begin to reach a point where we really have the willingness to let it all go, all of it? We are not going to strike matches and set fire to things. It's not necessary.
Having the solid state, something that is stable and sure, that is not going off into emotional sprees, emotional drunks, as does occur with those who have not found sufficient stability, there is the necessity of letting this fire take hold, because if the fire of God's love is to appear it must appear through those who have a solid foundation. If they do not have a solid foundation, when it appears it will destroy them. It may be more or less comfortable to feel an acceptable member of society because one has proven out a balanced state—yes it's needed—but if we stop there, that's it. There isn't anything more. Nothing will be achieved, because there must be the fire, the fire of God's love.
And so this evening I point to this necessity. We remember the description of the day of Pentecost long ago. We are only interested in this to the extent that it reveals the principle of the thing. We are not trying to duplicate anything. Somehow we must come into position to set the world on fire. Well we can't do that unless we ourselves are capable of walking in the fire without getting burned up. It seems to me that something was said to the effect, with respect to the disciples long ago, that they were accused of setting the world on fire. Unfortunately they did not have the opportunity that we have had, the time that we have had, to establish this solid, balanced foundation upon which to stand, and so they got badly burned.
Our concern, then, is to allow something of this fire of God's love to so take hold of us, as we abide under control, in the true design, on the firm foundation, as to permit this power to start a blaze, a controlled blaze. And I think this may be what we are here for; not exactly kindling, but something that proves to be a little inflammable.
So tonight I thought I would talk along this line, that it may be in our collective consciousness as we move forward through these wonderful days which we are privileged to share in this wonderful place. It is so good to have this opportunity to be together, to enjoy each other, but we need to remember also that we are here for a very particular, a very definite purpose—to give glory to God in the highest—and I don't know how you would do that without a little fire.
© Emissaries of Divine Light
