TCR 661 [3]
After this conversation I wished them peace,
and leaving them went back
home.
When I was at home, I was told from heaven:
Examine those three
general facts
above and below,
and then we shall see them on your hand.'
They said 'on your hand'
because everything a person examines
with his
understanding
appears to the angels as if written on his hands.
That is
why it is said in Revelation
that they had a mark
on their forehead and
on their hand
(Revelation 13:16; 14:9, 20:4).
TCR 661 [14-15]
.
. . the whole of heaven
is nothing but a container of services,
from first to last.
What is a service
but the realization in action of love for the neighbor?
And what holds the heavens together but this love?'
On
hearing this I asked:
'How can anyone tell
whether he is performing services
out of self-love or out of a love of service?
Everyone, good as well as wicked,
performs services and does so
at the bidding of some love.
Suppose that in the world
there were a community composed of none but devils,
and another composed of none but angels.
It is my opinion that the devils in their community,
fired by self-love and resplendent in their self-esteem,
would perform just as many services
as the angels in their community.
Who then can tell what is the love and the origin
from which these services come?'
The two angels replied to this
speech thus:
'Devils perform services
for their own sakes and to get a reputation,
so as to be promoted to honors,
or to make a profit.
But angels do not perform services for these reasons,
but for the sake of the services
and their love of being of service.
No person can distinguish between those services,
but the Lord can.
Everyone who believes in the Lord
and shuns evils as sins
performs services at the Lord's bidding.
But anyone who does not believe in the Lord,
and does not shun evils as sins,
performs services for himself and for his own sake.
This is the difference between services performed
by devils and those performed by angels.'
No comments:
Post a Comment