What a wonderful meeting this is! These are the children of the Kingdom.
The song we have just listened to was very beautiful in melody and words.
The art of music is divine and effective. It is the food of the soul and
spirit. Through the power and charm of music the spirit of man is
uplifted. It has wonderful sway and effect in the hearts of children, for
their hearts are pure, and melodies have great influence in them. The
latent talents with which the hearts of these children are endowed will
find expression through the medium of music. Therefore, you must exert
yourselves to make them proficient; teach them to sing with excellence and
effect. It is incumbent upon each child to know something of music, for
without knowledge of this art the melodies of instrument and voice cannot
be rightly enjoyed. Likewise, it is necessary that the schools teach it in
order that the souls and hearts of the pupils may become vivified and
exhilarated and their lives be brightened with enjoyment.
Today illumined and spiritual children are gathered in this meeting. They
are the children of the Kingdom. The Kingdom of heaven is for such souls
as these, for they are near to God. They have pure hearts. They have
spiritual faces. The effect of the divine teachings is manifest in the
perfect purity of their hearts. That is why Christ has addressed the
world, saying, "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye
shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven"--that is, men must become pure
in heart to know God. The teachings have had great effect. Spiritual
souls! Tender souls! The hearts of all children are of the utmost purity.
They are mirrors upon which no dust has fallen. But this purity is on
account of weakness and innocence, not on account of any strength and
testing, for as this is the early period of their childhood, their hearts
and minds are unsullied by the world. They cannot display any great
intelligence. They have neither hypocrisy nor deceit. This is on account
of the child's weakness, whereas the man becomes pure through his
strength. Through the power of intelligence he becomes simple; through the
great power of reason and understanding and not through the power of
weakness he becomes sincere. When he attains to the state of perfection,
he will receive these qualities; his heart becomes purified, his spirit
enlightened, his soul is sensitized and tender--all through his great
strength. This is the difference between the perfect man and the child.
Both have the underlying qualities of simplicity and sincerity--the child
through the power of weakness and the man through the power of strength.
I pray in behalf of these children and beg confirmation and assistance for
them from the Kingdom of Abha so that each one may be trained under the
shadow of the protection of God, each may become like a lighted candle in
the world of humanity, a tender and growing plant in the rose garden of
Abha; that these children may be so trained and educated that they shall
give life to the world of humanity; that they may receive insight; that
they may bestow hearing upon the people of the world; that they may sow
the seeds of eternal life and be accepted in the threshold of God; that
they may become characterized with such virtues, perfections and qualities
that their mothers, fathers and relatives will be thankful to God, well
pleased and hopeful. This is my wish and prayer.
I give you my advice, and it is this: Train these children with divine
exhortations. From their childhood instill in their hearts the love of God
so they may manifest in their lives the fear of God and have confidence in
the bestowals of God. Teach them to free themselves from human
imperfections and to acquire the divine perfections latent in the heart of
man. The life of man is useful if he attains the perfections of man. If he
becomes the center of the imperfections of the world of humanity, death is
better than life, and nonexistence better than existence. Therefore, make
ye an effort in order that these children may be rightly trained and
educated and that each one of them may attain perfection in the world of
humanity. Know ye the value of these children, for they are all my
children.
24 April 1912
Talk at Home of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur J. Parsons
1700 Eighteenth Street, NW, Washington, D.C.