The Fatherhood of God, His loving-kindness and beneficence are apparent to
all. In His mercy He provides fully and amply for His creatures, and if
any soul sins, He does not suspend His bounty. All created things are
visible manifestations of His Fatherhood, mercy and heavenly bestowals.
Human brotherhood is, likewise, as clear and evident as the sun, for all
are servants of one God, belong to one humankind, inhabit the same globe,
are sheltered beneath the overshadowing dome of heaven and submerged in
the sea of divine mercy. Human brotherhood and dependence exist because
mutual helpfulness and cooperation are the two necessary principles
underlying human welfare. This is the physical relationship of mankind.
There is another brotherhood--the spiritual--which is higher, holier and
superior to all others. It is heavenly; it emanates from the breaths of
the Holy Spirit and the effulgence of merciful attributes; it is founded
upon spiritual susceptibilities. This brotherhood is established by the
Manifestations of the Holy One.
The divine Manifestations since the day of Adam have striven to unite
humanity so that all may be accounted as one soul. The function and
purpose of a shepherd is to gather and not disperse his flock. The
Prophets of God have been divine Shepherds of humanity. They have
established a bond of love and unity among mankind, made scattered peoples
one nation and wandering tribes a mighty kingdom. They have laid the
foundation of the oneness of God and summoned all to universal peace. All
these holy, divine Manifestations are one. They have served one God,
promulgated the same truth, founded the same institutions and reflected
the same light. Their appearances have been successive and correlated;
each One has announced and extolled the One Who was to follow, and all
laid the foundation of reality. They summoned and invited the people to
love and made the human world a mirror of the Word of God. Therefore, the
divine religions They established have one foundation; Their teachings,
proofs and evidences are one; in name and form They differ, but in reality
They agree and are the same. These holy Manifestations have been as the
coming of springtime in the world. Although the springtime of this year is
designated by another name according to the changing calendar, yet as
regards its life and quickening it is the same as the springtime of last
year. For each spring is the time of a new creation, the effects,
bestowals, perfections and life-giving forces of which are the same as
those of the former vernal seasons, although the names are many and
various. This is 1912, last year was 1911 and so on, but in fundamental
reality no difference is apparent. The sun is one, but the dawning points
of the sun are numerous and changing. The ocean is one body of water, but
different parts of it have particular designations--Atlantic, Pacific,
Mediterranean, Antarctic, etc. If we consider the names, there is
differentiation; but the water, the ocean itself, is one reality.
Likewise, the divine religions of the holy Manifestations of God are in
reality one, though in name and nomenclature they differ. Man must be a
lover of the light, no matter from what dayspring it may appear. He must
be a lover of the rose, no matter in what soil it may be growing. He must
be a seeker of the truth, no matter from what source it come. Attachment
to the lantern is not loving the light. Attachment to the earth is not
befitting, but enjoyment of the rose which develops from the soil is
worthy. Devotion to the tree is profitless, but partaking of the fruit is
beneficial. Luscious fruits, no matter upon what tree they grow or where
they may be found, must be enjoyed. The word of truth, no matter which
tongue utters it, must be sanctioned. Absolute verities, no matter in what
book they be recorded, must be accepted. If we harbor prejudice, it will
be the cause of deprivation and ignorance. The strife between religions,
nations and races arises from misunderstanding. If we investigate the
religions to discover the principles underlying their foundations, we will
find they agree; for the fundamental reality of them is one and not
multiple. By this means the religionists of the world will reach their
point of unity and reconciliation. They will ascertain the truth that the
purpose of religion is the acquisition of praiseworthy virtues, the
betterment of morals, the spiritual development of mankind, the real life
and divine bestowals. All the Prophets have been the promoters of these
principles; none of Them has been the promoter of corruption, vice or
evil. They have summoned mankind to all good. They have united people in
the love of God, invited them to the religions of the unity of mankind and
exhorted them to amity and agreement. For example, we mention Abraham and
Moses. By this mention we do not mean the limitation implied in the mere
names but intend the virtues which these names embody. When we say
Abraham, we mean thereby a manifestation of divine guidance, a center of
human virtues, a source of heavenly bestowals to mankind, a dawning point
of divine inspiration and perfections. These perfections and graces are
not limited to names and boundaries. When we find these virtues, qualities
and attributes in any personality, we recognize the same reality shining
from within and bow in acknowledgment of the Abrahamic perfections.
Similarly, we acknowledge and adore the beauty of Moses. Some souls were
lovers of the name Abraham, loving the lantern instead of the light, and
when they saw this same light shining from another lantern, they were so
attached to the former lantern that they did not recognize its later
appearance and illumination. Therefore, those who were attached and held
tenaciously to the name Abraham were deprived when the Abrahamic virtues
reappeared in Moses. Similarly, the Jews were believers in Moses, awaiting
the coming of the Messiah. The virtues and perfections of Moses became
apparent in Jesus Christ most effulgently, but the Jews held to the name
Moses, not adoring the virtues and perfections manifest in Him. Had they
been adoring these virtues and seeking these perfections, they would
assuredly have believed in Jesus Christ when the same virtues and
perfections shone in Him. If we are lovers of the light, we adore it in
whatever lamp it may become manifest, but if we love the lamp itself and
the light is transferred to another lamp, we will neither accept nor
sanction it. Therefore, we must follow and adore the virtues revealed in
the Messengers of God--whether in Abraham, Moses, Jesus or other
Prophets--but we must not adhere to and adore the lamp. We must recognize
the sun, no matter from what dawning point it may shine forth, be it
Mosaic, Abrahamic or any personal point of orientation whatever, for we
are lovers of sunlight and not of orientation. We are lovers of
illumination and not of lamps and candles. We are seekers for water, no
matter from what rock it may gush forth. We are in need of fruit in
whatsoever orchard it may be ripened. We long for rain; it matters not
which cloud pours it down. We must not be fettered. If we renounce these
fetters, we shall agree, for all are seekers of reality. The counterfeit
or imitation of true religion has adulterated human belief, and the
foundations have been lost sight of. The variance of these imitations has
produced enmity and strife, war and bloodshed. Now the glorious and
brilliant twentieth century has dawned, and the divine bounty is radiating
universally. The Sun of Truth is shining forth in intense enkindlement.
This is, verily, the century when these imitations must be forsaken,
superstitions abandoned and God alone worshiped. We must look at the
reality of the Prophets and Their teachings in order that we may agree.
Praise be to God! The springtime of God is at hand. This century is,
verily, the spring season. The world of mind and kingdom of soul have
become fresh and verdant by its bestowals. It has resuscitated the whole
realm of existence. On one hand, the lights of reality are shining; on the
other, the clouds of divine mercy are pouring down the fullness of
heavenly bounty. Wonderful material progress is evident, and great
spiritual discoveries are being made. Truly, this can be called the
miracle of centuries, for it is replete with manifestations of the
miraculous. The time has come when all mankind shall be united, when all
races shall be loyal to one fatherland, all religions become one religion,
and racial and religious bias pass away. It is a day in which the oneness
of humankind shall uplift its standard and international peace, like the
true morning, flood the world with its light. Therefore, we offer
supplications to God, asking Him to dispel these gloomy clouds and uproot
these imitations in order that the East and West may become radiant with
love and unity, that the nations of the world shall embrace each other and
the ideal spiritual brotherhood illumine the world like the glorious sun
of the high heavens. This is our hope, our wish and desire. We pray that
through the bounty and grace of God we may attain thereto. I am very happy
to be present at this meeting which has innate radiance, intelligence,
perception and longing to investigate reality. Such meetings are the glory
of the world of mankind. I ask the blessing of God in your behalf.
29 May 1912
Talk at Home of Mr. and Mrs. Edward B. Kinney
780 West End Avenue, New York