Inclusiveness
Martin Exeter October 20, 1985
The way of salvation remains just words until there is the exemplification of the fact of it. That obviously requires people. Collectively it could be said by those who are here present this evening, "We are the ones to provide that." To bring it a little more to point each one may say, "I am the one to provide that. I am the one who maintains in an absolute sense a totally inclusive attitude toward all people everywhere." This is something that may be easily said. There may be some imagination, even, that one has assumed such an attitude. But the area of proof relates to those with whom one is in immediate association. How inclusive, actually, is the attitude with respect to these?
There is an inclination, from the human standpoint, to exclude people: "Here is a person whom I deem to be untrustworthy. Behavior by this person has revealed this to be the fact to me. Therefore I will exclude this person from my encompassment of the whole." Here is a state of affairs put into words that happens without the necessity of putting it into words. How inclusive, really, are we of each other?—those with whom we are associated closely. I'm not talking about some grandiose idea that we have of including "all of mankind in my encompassment." That doesn't mean anything unless what is close at hand proves the fact—one's attitude to those who are in the immediate vicinity. It is with respect to these that judgment puts in an appearance and an attitude of exclusion occurs.
There is a whole, but we ourselves are the ones who are beginning to know this, a whole which is cohesive, which is already present invisibly but which now is in the process of taking form. This wholeness includes all of mankind. No one is rightly excluded. I suppose it could be said that if there are those who have committed what has been called the unpardonable sin, then one might exclude those, because there is no possibility for such people to include themselves; the basis for such inclusion is gone. And this is true, no doubt, of certain people, but it would take a very mature spiritual person to be in position to discern where this had actually occurred. It's a lot safer to assume that it hasn't occurred. So our attitude rightly is that all are included.
This has been very necessary from the standpoint of my own approach over the years. I am just as capable of perceiving the quality and character of the behavior of people as you are. It is conceivable that my perception might be a little more accurate. Be that as it may, obviously, if this spiritual body was to take form on earth, it was necessary that I constantly maintained an attitude of inclusiveness. No one's behavior could be allowed to dictate to me that I should exclude anyone. There are those who reach a point sometimes of frustration with somebody or other: "I give up on this person. I don't want to have anything more to do with him!" That's a human trait, isn't it, that occurs in people; it may have even occurred in oneself. Clearly, then, here is an attitude of exclusion.
We may recognize that people will let themselves be included or not, as the case may be, but from our own personal standpoint everybody is included, rightly. I have that attitude, even though over the years there have been those who would not permit themselves to be included. We might recall something of the Master's attitude long ago with respect to those who were called disciples, and others as well, everybody in fact, but it was exemplified by those who came closest to Him. The nature of His attitude was there exemplified and it was an inclusive attitude. He didn't exclude Judas, for instance. He didn't even exclude him at the moment when he was about to undertake the betrayal, as it has been called: "Okay, go ahead." He didn't exclude Peter because of an anticipated denial—which became fact—or any of the rest of the disciples who were waffling around. There was only one who stayed put, the disciple John, the only one who was present at the time of the crucifixion, apart from some of the women of course. He received his commission there in a direct sense: to occupy the place which was now being vacated by the Master Himself, placing John in the position of His relationship to His mother. There weren't many on hand who were aware of what had been done then and, in any case, the fact was not acceptable apparently to the rest of the disciples. It seemed more in line with the human view of things to follow Peter. But the Master's attitude was one of inclusion.
Over the years I have had the opportunity to be tested, I suppose, repeatedly on this point, because there certainly have been those who denied and betrayed, but my attitude could not change merely because of that. Inclusiveness—each one who participates in giving form to this spiritual body carries this spirit. And the attitude of including others, particularly those who are nearby, is a basic evidence of participating in this spiritual body. This is the attitude of the One whose body it is. Necessarily it has had to be my attitude if I was to represent that One. But then we are all in the same boat, actually, because we represent that One, so that all mankind is included. The Master Himself has not been on hand personally to do this, but we are. So presumably if there is anything to us we do it.
So there is this attitude, which includes even those who bug us. The fact that you can be bugged, if you can, is an indication of the lingering presence of the human ego. It is the human ego that gets bugged. The spirit simply includes all. We have a particular opportunity in this regard: to provide a focus of that spirit, a unified focus of that spirit of inclusiveness. And the only way we can experience that spirit is in our moment-by-moment living with those who are present with us. As I say, we may have some grandiose ideas about including all of mankind, but they don't mean a thing if the opportunity which is present with us is not accepted. We need not be stupid—we may be aware of some of the lingering traits of human nature that are present in our fellows. I certainly have been. But that hasn't made any difference to what is required insofar as the attitude of inclusion is concerned. In order for this body to begin to take form at all, trust had to be given to different people, and quite frequently the trust was betrayed, less so in these more recent days but repeatedly in times past; and it happens even now.
The attitude of inclusion is the attitude of love, isn't it? You can't have this attitude of inclusion without love; you'll find that it's impossible. But all those who are moving toward the state of absoluteness are doing so because there has been an attitude of inclusion on my part, simply because I was responsible for providing a focus for what is to happen. And I would say, having had experience of myself, that if I can do it, anybody can do it. It's very convenient sometimes to place someone in a position of supposed leadership on a pedestal and say, "Well it's all right; he can do it, but I can't." That is looked upon sometimes as humility. It isn't.
In order to assume an attitude of inclusion it is necessary to mature, to grow up, to stop being childish anymore. I don't know anyone that I have had the opportunity of meeting, including myself, who was not childish to start with. Of course I am not speaking of years here, age in the physical sense. We all came through the period of childhood somehow to get here, but most retain the state of childishness into what is looked upon as adulthood. So there always is the necessity of maturing. Presumably one of my responsibilities was to see that I did it—I let it happen in me. Here was the first person to take care of. And that gave me a certain amount of experience in handling all the rest! But it's true of each one. We have to be willing to grow up, to come out of the state of childishness, which is inevitably there as long as the human ego condition exists.
Maturity is inclusive of spirit. The only way by which anyone can mature is on the basis of spirit, which is mature; and in the expression of that, maturity comes; otherwise a person just remains childish. And we see the world fraught with childishness everywhere: people out of control everywhere, people following each other around like a pack of lemmings, if that's the right term—some going this way, some going that way, some supporting this, some decrying that, everybody going along with it, swept hither and yon, no stability. Well, we know that there is a necessity for some stability somewhere if anything of the body of mankind is to survive. So we have been concerned about growing up. But everybody does it, or doesn't do it, as the case may be. No individual is unique in this regard; all are under the same necessity. The world is a very dangerous place because of the children of all ages.
So we have been growing up some. The evidence of this comes very particularly in the extent of our inclusiveness. This evening all who are sitting here, from my standpoint, I include in what it is that is happening, the creative process that is unfolding. I don't look at any of you and say, "I don't think you'll make it." As far as I am concerned you are all free to make it. How is your attitude toward everybody else? Here is an indication of the extent of maturity. Sometimes you may find yourself getting a little impatient with somebody: "They do the same thing over and over and over again!" Well I've been aware of a little something rising up in my own experience in this regard with respect to various ones who seem to be rather repetitive in this way. One observes such things. Patience, as I recall, is the first step into the Temple of Light. So you can't be impatient. That feeling of impatience may rise up: "Oh, that doesn't belong to me." Because the feeling rises up, you don't have to be that way.
So we learn, we mature in this fashion, because we take responsibility for these things and we have in consciousness always this attitude which includes everybody. If someone needs to grow up, as most everybody does, then we give them a chance. How long shall we give them a chance? I could say, with respect to some at least, "I've been patient for twenty, thirty years. That's enough! If they haven't grown up by now they never will!" Well maybe so, I don't know. But I'm not going to be the one to "lay it on" anyone. Are you? We are free when we let others be free. That's another thing you can't get—freedom. You give it. When you give it you're free. What is being given here is the opportunity for everyone to mature, and the ones whom we are in position to offer this opportunity to most effectively are those who are closest to us. If we have an attitude of inclusion toward these, that attitude will spill over into that great big world out there and we include all. But if we don't do it here we don't do it there.
The matter of forgiveness came up at the time of the Master. How often shall I forgive? Seven times? The answer was "seventy times seven." Well I don't think you're going to count it up to 490: "Now I'm free not to forgive." The indication was that it's open-ended. We are not responsible for binding people; we do have the opportunity to free them. We enfold, we encompass, we include. We are well aware that there are those who may refuse to be included; that's their business; but the refusal is not rightly consequent upon anything that we do. And gradually, on the basis of this factual love, the cohesiveness begins to put in an appearance in form and there is mutual trust. As I say, we are not foolish. We can discern; at least if we grow up we can discern. Children don't discern very much in a mature way; they can't. But all are included in this body which is taking form. They may move around in it according to the level of their trustworthiness but they are never excluded. "Well I've given you opportunity to be trustworthy for ten years, and you still keep betraying me"—that sounds like a rather judgmental view anyway—"therefore I am going to exclude you." No, everybody is included. They may not have proven trustworthiness in this area, but let them prove it in some other area then. So the body can form, and we love one another.
It is a most joyful thing to maintain this consistent inclusiveness, and then one day this person and that person suddenly give evidence of being freed up. [greatcosmicstory.blogspot.com/2021/11/loosed-on-earth-loosed-in.html] It's happening! I rejoice in it. How long are you going to wait for that? In some respects I waited decades. Let people be free, and those who are willing will come on through. For many we can say, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." But for us, I think we really know what we do, so you can't forgive people quite on that basis. But there is an open door of inclusiveness anyway. All have the opportunity of coming on through, and there are those who reveal that they are doing just that.
So there is on earth something stable and trustworthy. Even though there may be points of betrayal or denial here or there still putting in an appearance, I don't think it is going to jeopardize what is really happening; it's got beyond that point. There were some pretty hairy occasions in the past, and momentarily it seemed as though everything was put in jeopardy. There were those who put themselves in jeopardy, and others also, and me on occasion. But it's worked thus far. Let's let it work the way it works because we have an attitude which includes everybody, and out of that everybody those who need to come will come. But if we have a hand up stopping that person here and the other person over there, well it stops a lot more than just that person here and that person there. Include everybody!
There are those who have tried to make what we are doing seem to be exclusive. It was merely a reflection of their own judgment, of their own state—a state of unwillingness to be included. Of course fear enters in here. But there is no reason for fear insofar as we are concerned. We know what's what and we can include everybody, receive everybody who is willing to be received. I suppose you could say there's the catch for everybody, because not everybody is willing to be received. Well that's their business, but at least they have the opportunity when we are inclusive of everybody. And "everybody," insofar as we are concerned, are those people who are right next to us. If we do it there, it's done everywhere. So we rejoice to participate in the forming of a cohesive body that is absolutely stable, absolutely sure, free to stand in the midst of the human state unmoved and unscathed. Let it happen!
© emissaries of divine light
