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's 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 designation, 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 day-spring 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, betterment
of morals, 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 His Holiness Moses, awaiting
the coming of the Messiah. The virtues and perfections of Moses became
apparent in His Holiness 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 His Holiness 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 the 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.