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CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

The Love of God

Like the petals of a lotus flower, we unfold each layer of the mind and soul. In these pages there was first a question of whether or not
there was a natural order, or was the universe but a probabilistic phenomenon that had materialized into what it is. We used reason to
span this universe with a web of interrelationship showing that each thing in existence had its identity in the patterns of an infinite whole.
When we arrived at a definition of the human mind in terms of this identity, another layer opened for us, and we could see ourselves as
beings in a universe that, when we were in the mind, would work with us. Unfolding the lotus further, we saw that the Law of
Agreement is a way to bring that universal order into our social being, and then into our personal existence: When we choose to be free
from coercion, we become who we are. Throughout these pages I had tried to bring into clearer focus the nature of our being, the beauty
of it, and another petal unfolded, that we have a soul. When we choose to be who we are, we connect with all infinity to have the soul.
And another layer showed itself, that as we do with the soul, we bring into existence a higher power, a higher order of things that is
conscious at levels we can only imagine. But this had not yet been allowed to happen in our world, and we are now only at the threshold
of our dreams. Because of patterns of coercion and abuse, the dreams of the soul had not yet materialized here in their full potential.
When they do, we could peel back the final layer, and see into the heart of the lotus. And there, like a magnificent eye that sees into the
soul of each one of us, is a Love that radiates throughout existence. Inside this exquisite flower opens a beautiful Light that shines like a
perfect jewel, a dancing flame of Love that flows like water over a pure blue sapphire clear as the heavens. In that wondrous Light is a
powerful image. Within the heart of the lotus flower is a metaphor for what throughout the ages in all of humanity's history we called
God.

Through all of existence this Love flows. It is the Enlightenment of Buddha, the Devotions of Krishna, the Holy flame of Zoroaster, the
Laws of Moses, the Love of Christ, the Will of Allah of Mohammed, and the Unity of Baha'u'llah. But it is more than these. It is also the
wings of a butterfly, the eyes of a seal, the song of whales, the industry of ants or the sweet smell of honey, the regal call of a lion, or the
noisy nursing of wolf pups. Love is in the mother's lick of her calf, or in the flight of birds, the fluid play of dolphins, and dancing
monkeys in branches, the slow movement of the snail, or in the graceful leap of the gazelle. Love is in the song of birds or scratchings of
chickens or quacking of ducks. Love is in all of these. But it is also in the touch of loved ones, or the smell of a flower, or the happy
smiles on bright faces of children. We look into them, and we can see the love that looks back at us. In human eyes, love is the most
beautiful smile.

Through these windows of love, we can see all creation, same as in the beautiful unfolding of a flower, or the leaves of a tree that reach
for the light. We had been gifted with a beautiful planet where all of these are evident, and the eyes with which we see the blueness of
the sky, or the majesty of a sunrise, are the eyes that had been given the power of that Love. All things have the Love of God in them,
even the clear streams of mountains, or the rich aroma of the forest, or the sand that blankets the ocean's edge, in each individual grain.
They are all the works of forces that are beyond human comprehension, and yet their mystery is known to us, somehow and in some
wonderful way, in how we see and feel beauty of the world around us. We see it in our heart.

Life is a miracle, a gift, and all things in life have Love. Even the single cell that splits itself in two is filled with this love. Love manifests
itself in sex, in the choosing of a partner with whom to mate and care for, and create more life. It is evident in the care some species
have for their young. And it is even evident in the ways some of life must sacrifice itself for the survival of others. As we eat plants, they
give their life for us. As one animal attacks and kills another, Love is not abandoned, only it manifests itself in how one offers its life for
the other. The continuity of Life is a sacrament observed by all living things, no matter how small and lowly. We all want to live, but we
must also all die in the end, in our own time and our own way. Sometimes there is no choice, but in humans we have a conscious mind
that offers us a choice, if we wish to use it. We can choose to bring the Love of God into Life.

When we return kindness for kindness, we bring the Love of God into us. When we pray for or help another, we carry this Love in our
hands. When we heal what is hurt, or soften a blow of anger, we are one step closer to this Love. When we sculpt a thing of beauty, or
create a beautiful harmony or dance or poetry, we glorify this Love. And when we bring back to life what is at the abyss of extinction, or
rebeautify the planet with its living treasures, or help troubled souls so that they could see their own beauty, then we are bringing this
Love into our lives. We are beautiful, all of us, at all levels of existence, because in us is reflected God's Love. God is a choice. So why
not choose to turn into this beautiful Light of Love and lift up our world into what we know deep in our hearts it is to be. Why not make
the world conscious of God's Love?

This is no missionary task. It is merely an act of doing. To be, to do, and to pray is what changes the world. In each one of our
individual acts, we change reality in some small way. It may be imperceptible to us at that particular moment, but in time and in
accumulation the world slowly shifts in its course from its presently unhappy one. We all make a difference, not in some large concerted
effort, but rather each and everyone one of us working singly with that Love in his or her heart. It is that simple, yet it is infinitely
complex. And when it works, when we have given it a chance, the Love of God makes our world a very beautiful place to be.

This is a very big step for us. To heal a world is a wonderful gift we can give in return for our having a soul. It had not been easy even to
get as far as we did, but we are at an impasse and it is difficult to get past here without belief. To become part of this great evolutionary
unfolding of human consciousness, we must choose to be one with that Love that flows through us like a beautiful wine. In every single
cell of our blood Love calls us to Life. But Life cannot do it without our help. We are the chosen ones, because we are given with the
mind and soul to see this. When our distant ancestors first began their crude worship of something greater than themselves, even if they
did this in the darkness of their ignorance, only painting their hands in some cave by firelight, they were already putting us on the path to
God's Love. They did not know how, but in such simple worships were the first stirrings to bring this Love into our world. Now it is for
us to take this mantle. As we examine all there is to know of Earth, as we cast ourselves off into the heavens and look back upon our
beautiful planet, we take on the responsibility for the planet of our birth. In each thing we do, there is the potential to bring forth this
Light, and have it flow like water over all the living creatures of Earth. Then, when we have done this, the final petals will open for us,
and we will be free to look into the heart of the lotus. And then, in all things around us, all of the time, there will be evident the Love of
God for all of Life.

So it is in us, in our children, and in our children's children that this work will be done. Like a difficult journey that takes us to a
wonderful place, we will have to take the first steps to getting there. If our ancient ancestors had not gambled long ago that this journey
was possible, then we would not be here where we are today. In their primitive ways, they were already putting their future generations
on a road to spiritual consciousness. We are here now, and it is for us to put our future generations on an even greater journey. To
replace cruelty with mercy, greed with generosity, deceit with honesty, and reward goodness rather than force; these are the small steps
that take us to planetary maturity. The opposite of these is planetary ignorance and a negation of the work that had been done so far. We
do not have to have wars, or to kill one another, since they are vestiges of a more ignorant past. We no longer have slavery, so why not
choose an even greater freedom. Why not choose Love? Dare we love our enemy? That is the most difficult test of all.

Like seeds planted in a garden, we will watch Love grow. It will spread like a planetwide blanket on all the living things, and they in turn
will radiate it for us like living lanterns of God's Love. All things respond do this, as will all human beings in the world. The dark forces
that had kept us from reaching out to this Love will atrophy like the dried branches of a dead tree, and all of Life will rejoice in its new
awakening. We do not have to take a step backwards for every step forward if we are conscious of where we are going. Instead, all
faces can now turn into a growing Light and feel the Love that awaits us there. This is the journey of a planet endowed with Life: To
reach for the Love that had given it Life. We will have this love in our eyes, and even see it in the eyes of the animals around us. We will
see it in the good works of our fellow human beings, and at all levels of the natural world. When our Love had penetrated into the
darkest forests, there will no longer be danger for us. For Love to conquer the world's fear, we need to first look into our hearts and find
the love there. And when it is found in each one of us, anger and fear will melt away. And maybe in some distant future, we will stand
on ground as pure and blue as the sky above us. But we cannot get there unless we honor all the living creatures around us. God's Love
is all around us all the time, and it is in this Love that lies the redemption and the beautiful dreams of our future world.

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