August 8, 1985

• Demonstrating your faith

You are all indeed blessed by God’s presence, by God’s spiritual sensitivity, and the potential for God’s peace.

You have within you the potential for being a full representation, in human form, of God. That is not to say you are equal in those attributes, but you all have potential for being a full, a rich, a meaningful representation.

You are being challenged here. What you are experiencing and have been experiencing recently is a challenge, for you are being asked through the efforts of your guides, collectively and individually, to respond to another as if you were responding to God and as if you were responding as God. The union of to God and as God is important here. So often we have encouraged you to reach out to another, and in so doing you are reaching out to God. You are also encouraged to reach out as God would reach out. You are then responding to God and as God. That is the most important lesson you can learn. The lesson itself you understand; the application is another matter.

There are so many times when each of you fails to reach out, to comfort, to support, to encourage. This reluctance is often because you set up a kind of wall between yourselves and others. This wall is comprised of self-interest, self-concern, impatience—none of which are representative of God. Ultimately in your development you must learn to break down those self-interests and to make the type of response you now experience toward others within the group as a natural response to all people. Certainly you cannot fully achieve that goal, but it is so worthy of your efforts that we feel you must be reminded continually of its importance.

There is a union which binds this group closely. You feel that union but there is also a distance separating each of you, a distance caused by different experiences in life that you all bring. It is good to recognize those differences. It is even better to minimize them. The closeness and warmth which you feel together this evening is unique. Relish it, remember how it feels. You will have many occasions to look back upon this experience with a sense of peace and a longing to duplicate it over and over. It serves as a kind of focal point for this group.

What you experience now could only be achieved because of what you have experienced as a group. The unity is solid…build upon it. The peace is there…build upon it. The sense of mutual support and love is there…build upon it. The sense of mutual respect is there…build upon it. You cannot always achieve this level of unity, but you must remember it is possible.

Having experienced strong unity, you must have confidence that it can be spread, that what you feel can be shared with others who are not with you. That sharing need not be an effort to draw others within this collection of souls. It may be just a loving presence that you offer, a nonjudgmental, noncompetitive presence, one that is totally accepting. When you feel that way, it is communicated. You don’t say, “I accept you as you are,” but another will feel that. You, therefore, know the fruits of your potential.

Your responsibilities are, therefore, to strengthen your ability to carry forward what you experience together. This is really a beginning. It is not an end. It is an initial challenge brought about by a wonderful common experience. Each of you should make the most of it. Each of you should seek others who need to experience what you experience. Don’t tell them about it…give it to them. Don’t describe it…show it. Love cannot be described. It cannot be drawn and diagrammed. It cannot be measured. It can be felt—that is what is important.

You like to refer to the drawing away from the activities of your daily lives in order to focus on God. Imagine what it would be like if your daily activities were focused on God. You would not be drawing away. Your focus would be as it is now. It is possible, indeed desirable, to be active in life, but as the same time always conscious that God is within you and beside you. It can be done. If you can achieve that feeling, you will not necessarily feel that you are withdrawing from other activities, for withdrawing is so superficial. It is changing the dial on the radio, but the radio remains on. You are changing your activity, but there is no withdrawal. Keep God foremost in all that you do. Avoid being so involved that you cannot see God, that you cannot feel God.

God is with all of you. God’s love surrounds each soul and surrounds all of your souls as well, as a group unit. God’s peace courses through each of your souls. God’s love is present at all times. Rejoice, for you and God are a unit! You are One. Believe it, live it, and let it remain always ahead of all activities.

Our prayers are for you as yours are for us. We, too, are permanently joined in a great bond of love. God’s peace is your peace. Rest in that realization.

Amen.