I offer thanks to God for the privilege of being present in an assemblage
which is commemorating Him, whose members have no thought or intention
save His good pleasure and the unbiased investigation of reality. I praise
God for this meeting of human souls free from the bondage of imitations
and prejudice, willing to examine reasonably and accept that which is
found to be true.
In our solar system the center of illumination is the sun itself. Through
the will of God this central luminary is the one source of the existence
and development of all phenomenal things. When we observe the organisms of
the material kingdoms, we find that their growth and training are
dependent upon the heat and light of the sun. Without this quickening
impulse there would be no growth of tree or vegetation; neither would the
existence of animal or human being be possible; in fact, no forms of
created life would be manifest upon the earth. But if we reflect deeply,
we will perceive that the great bestower and giver of life is God; the sun
is the intermediary of His will and plan. Without the bounty of the sun,
therefore, the world would be in darkness. All illumination of our
planetary system proceeds or emanates from the solar center.
Likewise, in the spiritual realm of intelligence and idealism there must
be a center of illumination, and that center is the everlasting,
ever-shining Sun, the Word of God. Its lights are the lights of reality
which have shone upon humanity, illumining the realm of thought and
morals, conferring the bounties of the divine world upon man. These lights
are the cause of the education of souls and the source of the
enlightenment of hearts, sending forth in effulgent radiance the message
of the glad tidings of the Kingdom of God. In brief, the moral and ethical
world and the world of spiritual regeneration are dependent for their
progressive being upon that heavenly Center of illumination. It gives
forth the light of religion and bestows the life of the spirit, imbues
humanity with archetypal virtues and confers eternal splendors. This Sun
of Reality, this Center of effulgences, is the Prophet or Manifestation of
God. Just as the phenomenal sun shines upon the material world producing
life and growth, likewise, the spiritual or prophetic Sun confers
illumination upon the human world of thought and intelligence, and unless
it rose upon the horizon of human existence, the kingdom of man would
become dark and extinguished.
The Sun of Reality is one Sun, but it has different dawning places, just
as the phenomenal sun is one although it appears at various points of the
horizon. During the time of summer the luminary of the physical world
rises far to the north of the equinoctial, in spring and fall it dawns
midway, and in winter it appears in the most southerly point of its
zodiacal journey. These daysprings or dawning points differ widely, but
the sun is ever the same sun--whether it be the phenomenal or spiritual
luminary. Souls who focus their vision upon the Sun of Reality will be the
recipients of light no matter from what point it rises, but those who are
fettered by adoration of the dawning point are deprived when it appears in
a different station upon the spiritual horizon.
Furthermore, just as the solar cycle has its four seasons, the cycle of
the Sun of Reality has its distinct and successive periods. Each brings
its vernal season or springtime. When the Sun of Reality returns to
quicken the world of mankind, a divine bounty descends from the heaven of
generosity. The realm of thoughts and ideals is set in motion and blessed
with new life. Minds are developed, hopes brighten, aspirations become
spiritual, the virtues of the human world appear with freshened power of
growth, and the image and likeness of God become visible in man. It is the
springtime of the inner world. After the spring, summer comes with its
fullness and spiritual fruitage; autumn follows with its withering winds
which chill the soul; the Sun seems to be going away, until at last the
mantle of winter overspreads, and only faint traces of the effulgence of
that divine Sun remain. Just as the surface of the material world becomes
dark and dreary, the soil dormant, the trees naked and bare and no beauty
or freshness remains to cheer the darkness and desolation, so the winter
of the spiritual cycle witnesses the death and disappearance of divine
growth and extinction of the light and love of God. But again the cycle
begins and a new springtime appears. In it the former springtime has
returned; the world is resuscitated, illumined and attains spirituality;
religion is renewed and reorganized, hearts are turned to God, the summons
of God is heard, and life is again bestowed upon man. For a long time the
religious world had been weakened and materialism had advanced; the
spiritual forces of life were waning, moralities were becoming degraded,
composure and peace had vanished from souls, and satanic qualities were
dominating hearts; strife and hatred overshadowed humanity, bloodshed and
violence prevailed. God was neglected; the Sun of Reality seemed to have
gone completely; deprivation of the bounties of heaven was a fact; and so
the season of winter fell upon mankind. But in the generosity of God a new
springtime dawned, the lights of God shone forth, the effulgent Sun of
Reality returned and became manifest, the realm of thoughts and kingdom of
hearts became exhilarated, a new spirit of life breathed into the body of
the world, and continuous advancement became apparent.
I hope that the lights of the Sun of Reality will illumine the whole world
so that no strife and warfare, no battles and bloodshed remain. May
fanaticism and religious bigotry be unknown, all humanity enter the bond
of brotherhood, souls consort in perfect agreement, the nations of earth
at last hoist the banner of truth, and the religions of the world enter
the divine temple of oneness, for the foundations of the heavenly
religions are one reality. Reality is not divisible; it does not admit
multiplicity. All the holy Manifestations of God have proclaimed and
promulgated the same reality. They have summoned mankind to reality
itself, and reality is one. The clouds and mists of imitations have
obscured the Sun of Truth. We must forsake these imitations, dispel these
clouds and mists and free the Sun from the darkness of superstition. Then
will the Sun of Truth shine most gloriously; then all the inhabitants of
the world will be united, the religions will be one, sects and
denominations will reconcile, all nationalities will flow together in the
recognition of one Fatherhood, and all degrees of humankind will gather in
the shelter of the same tabernacle, under the same banner.
Until the heavenly civilization is founded, no result will be forthcoming
from material civilization, even as you observe. See what catastrophes
overwhelm mankind. Consider the wars which disturb the world. Consider the
enmity and hatred. The existence of these wars and conditions indicates
and proves that the heavenly civilization has not yet been established. If
the civilization of the Kingdom be spread to all the nations, this dust of
disagreement will be dispelled, these clouds will pass away, and the Sun
of Reality in its greatest effulgence and glory will shine upon mankind.
O God! O Thou Who givest! This congregation is turning to Thee, casting
their glances toward Thy Kingdom and favor, longing to behold the lights
of Thy face. O God! Bless this nation. Confirm this government. Reveal Thy
glory unto this people and confer upon them life eternal. O God! Illumine
the faces, render the hearts radiant, exhilarate the breasts, crown the
heads with the diadem of Thy providence, cause them to soar in Thy pure
atmosphere so they may reach the highest pinnacles of Thy splendor. Assist
them in order that this world may ever find the light and effulgence of
Thy presence. O God! Shelter this congregation and admonish this nation.
Render them progressive in all degrees. May they become leaders in the
world of humanity. May they be Thine examples among humankind. May they be
manifestations of Thy grace. May they be filled with the inspiration of
Thy Word. Thou art the Powerful. Thou art the Mighty. Thou art the Giver,
and Thou art the Omniscient.
5 May 1912
Talk at All-Souls Church
Lincoln Center, Chicago, Illinois