Passionate Love for the Word
Martin Cecil May 13, 1979 a.m.
I am sure everyone was delighted to hear the choir singing praises to the Lord. We need to sing praises; we also need to do more than that. We are assembled this morning once again to praise the Lord and to worship God—in fact we have representation of the whole world, all present in one place and I trust with one accord, to worship God. Another word for worship is response. We worship God by passionately responding to His Word. We can know God in no other way. The word God is intended to describe some reality which has remained unknown to human beings, except as they have learned to respond passionately to the Word. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Our consciousness and experience of God on earth is dependent absolutely upon the extent of our passionate response in love for the Word. The Word is revealed through words, words which are living words, the words of life. Such words are only possible of expression to the extent of the reality of living. The words that human beings speak are quite often based in human experience, but human experience is not the true experience of man and therefore does not reveal the reality of God, even though man was made in the image and likeness of God.
We all are aware of the responsibility which we carry, individually and together, to let the Word be revealed through the words of our living. This includes the words which we speak, but of course is far more than that. It includes all that finds expression, even in the smallest detail of our living. This is not going to be the case in our experience except to the extent that we do passionately love the Word. Only through the Word is God known. There is no other possibility in this regard insofar as human experience is concerned. So emphasis must necessarily be placed upon the Word, for it proves to be our connection with God. That connection has meaning when the Word is expressed in our living. Yes, we do need to hear it, we do need to be aware of the Tone of the Word, but not merely for academic reasons; because in actual fact, while we may hear something of the Word, expressed by the words and the living of others, we do not know the Word for ourselves until we express it for ourselves. It isn't merely a matter of hearing but of doing.
I am sure you would say that you know these things. I trust you do, but is that knowing the consistent experience of your living? It must be if the Word is to be made available on earth to the world for which we carry responsibility. We do individually carry responsibility for the particular world which we may center. Sometimes this is looked upon as being a small world, not extending very far beyond one's immediate presence; but we know in fact that there are no arbitrary limits to that world, only those which we ourselves establish. Our individual worlds, while they may have their more personal aspects close at hand, extend beyond and beyond, do they not? There is no fence anywhere actually, so that you could say that this fence delineates your world. There is no such fence, and our individual worlds extend indefinitely. What we do at the center of our worlds is reflected in our worlds. The further it moves out the more magnified is the influence. Something may seem to be a very little thing close at hand, but if you carry that forth the arc of it becomes longer and longer, does it not, and the little action, the little thought, the little word, is expanded tremendously in our worlds.
Being one person does not indicate that we cannot have much influence. It never provides us with an excuse for saying that because we are just one person we cannot accomplish very much. We can accomplish everything that we are here to do. We would not be here otherwise; there would be no point to us being here. What we are to accomplish from the standpoint of the vision which we now have extends beyond us indefinitely. We may say that our field of responsibility is primarily in what we would describe as our world but I think our vision of this world has been at times somewhat restricted. It does include this earth, for the earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof; but also the world, and they that dwell therein. Here is our field of responsibility as individuals. Perhaps the more of us there are the more effectively we can handle this field, but we handle it as individuals or not at all. There is no sort of group handling of things except on an individual basis because each individual who composes that group, however massive it may be or however small, has assumed personal responsibility for his or her own world. The acceptance of that responsibility is not dependent upon anybody else. As I say, we recognize that because there are others present doing the same thing we can be more effective; but regardless of the extent of our effectiveness we still are where we are, at the center of our worlds, carrying that particular and specific responsibility. It has often been said that there was no one else there to do it, but we need to see this for ourselves, not as a platitudinous theory but as a fact, because until it is factual in one's own experience one contributes nothing. As long as it remains imaginary what is being done is imaginary too.
We are deeply concerned with facts. I would that all might face facts rather than indulge in fancy. We can only deal with facts and be creative. We can fumble around in an imaginary world but we waste our time. Only when we come to point in the factual world is there a starting point for doing what is required. In that starting point, in that beginning, is the Word. The Word is our responsibility in our particular creative fields, in our individual worlds. If the Word is to find expression in our world it will do so because we give it expression. If we do not give it expression then our world is left desolate. We need to see this as being so, factually so. If our world is desolate we know it. Certainly we face the facts that are present around us, and we see that there is a transformation necessary and we have a responsibility for this transformation as we accept the responsibility of letting the Word find expression because we live. We have this responsibility.
We know the Word as we worship God, as we have this passionate love for the Word. Then our concern is to allow that Word to find expression in the words of our living. If we hear an off-key tone in any moment, because of our passionate love for the Word we allow the adjustment to be made so that the tone comes through loud and clear. We do not persist in off-key notes but, hearing them, immediately we allow the adjustment to be made. We know very well that there are adjustments to be made. In the steering of any course adjustments are to be made. Even if there is an automatic mechanism to steer the course there are constant little adjustments being made.
In the material realm it seems very often that the mechanical contrivance for steering a course is more expert than the human being might be in doing it. There is a more delicate sensing possible to the machine. Human beings let their minds wander. They have so much to observe, other than the particular course which should be being steered, that they get distracted. So the corrections are more violent, as a rule, to bring things back on to course. Insofar as steering the course of responsibility with respect to the expression of the Word there is no mechanical contrivance to do it for us. We have the sole responsibility and no one is going to build anything that will relieve us of this responsibility, no automatic pilot in this regard. We have the sole responsibility constantly. We can carry this responsibility to the extent that we are correctly connected with the Word. That requires what we have called spiritual substance, the generation of substance. In this instance we are thinking of it as the substance of connection. We find that the substance of connection proves to be more than that, but it is the fact that it does connect that enables us to experience the more. So the aspect of this substance which relates to connection is primary. We have noted that, relative to the keeping of the first great commandment: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all.” Thou shalt love the Word with all, because here is our initial consciousness of the reality of God. The Word certainly doesn't acquaint us immediately with God. We only come to know God as we express the Word. The Word is the Word of God; therefore we find ourselves in the position where God is. God expresses the Word, we express the Word. God is known on this basis. But He is not known as some personality separate and apart from ourselves.
We may recognize that God is vast and that our experience of God would therefore be describable as small; but the experience which we have in this regard is of God. You cannot separate God from God. God is one God and He eternally remains one, so our experience of the individual facet of God in expression is not separate and apart from God—it is God. God is therefore not separate and apart from us. We can never know God as long as it appears to us that He is separate, that He is over there somewhere and we will get to Him one day; or perhaps He will come to us one day. We are not going to get to Him and He is not going to get to us, because that fact of oneness is already a reality. It doesn't have to be made so. We might say, to be known, it is necessary that we experience the fact, but we are dealing with a fact here and not with an imaginary idea.
We immediately begin to deal with an imaginary idea when we speculate about God. The whole human race finds itself separate from God in its own experience. We have found it to be so and we have, most sincerely along the way, looked toward God. It is our passionate love for the Word which permits the generation of spiritual substance in sufficient quantity and quality to provide the connection that is necessary for the experience of the fact, for the experience of the truth. This is the ultimate fact. There is no separation in the truth. There may be a multitude of aspects to the truth but they are all aspects of one thing. There is therefore no separation. To know God, then, the sense of separation must be dissolved. The sense of separation is dissolved to the extent of the generation of the required substance. This substance is generated not for our particular benefit. The substance is generated in order that our worlds may be immersed in it. So here is the means of transformation—no substance, no transformation.
So we are here to generate the substance necessary to allow the Word to be expressed, the required action to appear, through the same substance. The action occurs within that substance and that substance contains our worlds, so our worlds are immediately affected. Here is the easy yoke, here is the burden of light, because this substance is the substance, the medium by which fire is known in the world. It is said that the world is reserved unto fire. This need not be talking about nuclear weaponry. It could mean that, but this would indicate our failure. It is reserved unto the fire of this substance, the substance of love, in which our worlds are to be immersed. Here is an indication of the extent of the substance that is required; not a little piece of personal substance that I am going to have for myself and for my own living here in my little world. We are charged with the responsibility of generating the substance which will allow the whole of our worlds to be immersed. There is more spiritual substance than there is material world.
When the Master was on earth He generated the substance for the whole world so that the whole world might be immersed in that substance. What is happening now in our experience is because of that fact. We were not left comfortless. We were provided with a starting point for the fulfilment of our own responsibility now. The experience of human beings was left desolate because there has been an obvious unwillingness to worship God, to worship God in fact. Lots of people have had the idea of it; they may have earnestly believed in God and tried to worship their belief. This has been done far and wide, but nothing much happens if you worship a belief. Worship God, that is the instruction, and you cannot worship God without the Word. The Word was provided obviously by the Master in His expression on earth. This is why the substance could be generated by which the world was enfolded. The door was opened in this regard so that all who were willing to worship God might know the true experience. This does not obviate the necessity for anyone to take the responsibility of the generation of his own spiritual substance necessary for his world. What is generated in that regard will certainly be included in what the Master generated. In this fashion this substance of fire is heated seven times hotter than it is wont to be heated, as it was put. In other words because there are those who participate in the process, in the creative process, the world becomes more thoroughly immersed in the substance at an increasing intensity.
This does not arbitrarily establish some sort of structured state and impose it upon human beings. No, there is no structured imposition but there is something that is very compelling, something from which no one can escape once this compulsion begins to intensify, once there is sufficient substance to immerse the world. Then the compulsion is there everywhere and human beings are going to have to make their choices accordingly. There is no arbitrary determination as to what choices they shall make, but they shall make their choices. I think we have found this ourselves in some measure so far. We couldn't escape! We were sufficiently immersed in the substance that the compulsion was felt, and insofar as we were concerned it was felt in a way which compelled us toward the assumption of responsibility in the generation of further substance—in other words, to cooperate. There was a very strong compulsion in that regard. You know something about it, and if what you thought was cooperation actually is not, you feel that too. There are many things which simply do not belong when the Tone is sounded, and if the Tone is intensified those things are going to stand out. The wise thing then of course is to let them go. If you hang on to them and try to justify them, out you go. You find yourself in the lake burning with fire and brimstone. We do not object to the fire; that is what we are here to generate. We share the responsibility for generating this fire, but we share that responsibility because individually we have accepted our own, not because we are riding along on what others are doing. Sooner or later you find out that that cannot be done.
In the expression of the Word you are above your worlds. You have an attitude of enfoldment to your worlds. You do not judge your world, you do not condemn your world. You are not sent into the world to condemn the world but that the world through you might be saved, your world might be transformed. We each have this particular responsibility, and to the extent that we accept it for ourselves in fact, then we do have a collective responsibility, and that is fine. That allows us to be increasingly effective but only because individually we have accepted the responsibility. If you recognize the acceptance of some responsibility on my part over the years, there is no difference insofar as you are concerned. The same thing is required of each individual. No one can ever leave it to somebody else. If he does then he becomes worthless of course, and subject to the lake burning with fire and brimstone. So in principle we each accept exactly the same responsibility. Our individual responsibilities vary because our individual worlds vary, but we are always on top of our worlds. We are there to provide the substance in which our worlds may be immersed.
If you find yourself at any time critical in your outlook toward anything or anyone, you may know that you have placed yourself at a lower level than your circumstances. They are your god. They are dictating to you the attitude you should take—a critical one. All of you, I am sure—all of us, as far as that is concerned—have experienced this tendency to be critical, and we see clearly enough why this is so. It is the evidence of the fact that we are below what we should be above. We have accepted a position which is below our worlds and our worlds are dictating to us what our behavior should be. We have known these principles for a long time but it doesn't hurt to take an honest look at them because we also know that we still have vestiges of critical attitudes hanging around, and that's a dead giveaway—dead is the right word. Human beings are all the time giving themselves away, without realizing it of course. They have in their own eyes justified themselves in whatever the attitude is, but an unbiased observer will see exactly what is happening and that that person is worshiping idols, certainly not worshiping God.
We worship God through the Word, through giving expression to the Word; and if we are with God—after all, the Word is with God—then we are certainly not underneath this creation. We are higher than the creation, and because we are higher we can enfold that creation in the substance which we generate from moment to moment. We provide the opportunity for those who inhabit our world no longer to be desolate. In order not to be desolate those concerned must say in effect, “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord”—there must be response to the Word exemplified by whoever it is. But let us never claim that response as our own. I have heard various ones at different times express the idea to other people: “You must respond to me.” No—worship God, not respond to some person. Have you ever heard me say, “You, look all of you, now you have got to respond to me”? I don't think so. I may have indicated that you must respond to the Word, and I may have indicated that the Word is revealed through words which I may speak, but the response is to the Word. You may say, “Well you can't separate the means by which the Word finds expression from the Word itself.” That is true enough, but the Word is there and it is the Word that makes possible the worship of God. We recognize that the means by which the Word finds expression is very important, because it would not find expression otherwise and therefore it would remain rather vague, to say the least. But it isn't vague anymore insofar as your experience is concerned, because it has found specific expression. There has been sufficient substance for that and there has been the substance of enfoldment which has not been of a nature which would make you feel that you were being condemned. No, it is not a matter of condemnation; it is a matter of enfoldment, and a matter of creative action, which is only possible within this substance—for the action takes place in the spiritual substance. Then whatever is done there is reflected in the earthly substance: the easy yoke.
These things cannot be known except as there is the essential substance there, and that essential substance is generated when there is a passionate love for the Word, there is a passionate love for all that is associated with that Word, which includes the human facilities by which the Word is expressed. But our worship is of God, not of the effects of the Word, which may be words or may be revealed in the pattern of living. Those are effects, after all. Our love is for the Word. No one comes to the experience of God except through the Word. That is the fact of the matter; one can't dodge it.
So we share this responsibility for worshiping God because of our passionate love for the Word. Then there is substance. Then we find ourselves with God, identified in the expression of the Word in our living, and because of this, prolific substance is generated sufficient to enfold our worlds. Then the world has no alternative but to be transformed. It must be transformed. What occurs in that experience of transformation includes many things, some of them apparently destructive; but it is all part of the transformation which must occur once the substance is there, once we hold our worlds in that substance. Again I say, it is not a matter of imposing anything. Just enfold the world in the substance, without condemnation but with a keen awareness of what is happening in the world of effects; but also with a keen awareness of what needs to be done from the standpoint of our responsibility, from the standpoint of the causative Word, to allow whatever is to be brought forth in the transformation to happen. Here we are on earth for this reason: to worship God, to glorify God, and to finish the works for which we are here.
It is my passion for the Word that has revealed for those with eyes to see the nature of response and which has allowed a consistency to be known at the core of this developing body, so that all being enfolded in this creative substance might have the easy opportunity of sharing the same responsibility of a passionate love for the Word, and thereby of the generation of the substance essential for the transformation of the world.
© Emissaries of Divine Light
