3/20/06 The String of Pearls Part IV
Copyright © 1989-2006 Mel West. All rights reserved.

The String of Pearls
(Continued)

By Mel West

page 128

Chapter 25
The Terebinth

From the days of my youth, even the earliest days of my youth, my son, I prayed unto the Lord for Wisdom. Even before I knew what prayer was, I prayed for Wisdom:

I found Wisdom in many houses;
it took me to the world;
I found it in many men,
and it had been preserved in many books;
but finally I found her
and I asked her to abide with me forever.
This is Wisdom, my son,
for wherever you seek her
there she will be.
But Wisdom has a double edged sword,
as I justly learned.
Though I had courted her,
and though I had marvelled at her many ways,
I thought her pure in all things.
But when I took her unto me,
and slept in her bed,
She gave unto me her sword;
and I hewed down a mighty oak:
Quickly did I it,
and the oak was two thousand years old.

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All the world marvelled at the oak,
for no other oak was like it.
It rose above all others;
its branches spread sea to sea.
Wisdom said unto me,
Who will bring down this mighty oak?
Send me, said I,
and I took unto me the sword.
When I saw the mighty oak,
reaching to heaven in dignity,
when I gazed upon her heavenly branches,
I then learned Wisdom.
It was a goodly oak,
fine in stature;
It was firm and righteous in deed.
Yet it had a blight on it,
a terrible blight it was;
for a dragon had taken to its branches
and lived upon its birds.
The Sons of Heaven called out,
Who will fell this mighty oak?
Then, thought I, to belay the deed,
and I cowered beneath its canopy.
Who will fell this mighty oak?,
all cried.

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I picked up my sword, my son,
and felled the mighty tree.
This is the price of Wisdom, my son,
to fell a mighty tree.
The trees were glad,
though I mourned;
some rejoiced,
saying the wood was bitter;
some cried,
because it was unjust;
and others feared,
for they were a tree.
They all looked upon my sword.
This is the price of Wisdom, my son,
whose sword fell a mighty tree.

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When I was a young man
I sought Wisdom;
and I saw it on the doorstep of the Lord:
'Twas a well worn doorstep,
more than any other;
and from it came lamentations and grief.
From it came Joy and Promise,
and from it came woe.
O woe is me, my son,
for I have felled a mighty tree!
Grieve not for the terebinth, my son,
but the sword who felled the tree!
This is the price of Wisdom,
to know the terrible blight;
to take the sword of knowledge
and affront self appointed right.
All is Vanity, my son,
the treasure of delight;
I took a sword to Vanity
and felled a loathsome sight.

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This is the price of Wisdom,
to discern right from wrong,
but he who holds the sword,
hath no friend among the throng.
All Wisdom comes from the Lord,
and remains with him forever.
To fear the Lord is the source of Wisdom:
Make Peace among the throng;
the root of the Lord is Wisdom;
His proverbs stored forever;
drink of the ancients a plenty,
their cellars of wisdom's dew;
take no joy in exaltation,
delight not in revenge;
and if thy sword is struck,
lower thine eyes in shame,
lest others see thine heights
and thine arm set for gain:
for quick is the fall of the mighty,
even the mightiest tree.

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The highest trees are towers to heaven,
robed with honors all kind;
but behold the mustard, of all, my son,
its birds of glory ye find.
Now in the Host of Heaven,
there are mighty deeds,
and clothed in Salvation and Light my son,
the Sons of Heaven feed.
There is no fear,
there is no gain;
but their works mightily feared;
for all the Host of Heaven
know them:
a terrible, unending chain.
Let no man's disgrace
be glory to you,
be considerate when else fails.
Humiliate no one when you are in strength;
let charity never be forgotten.

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Lift no stone beyond your weight,
and look not beyond your vision;
be patient, for the Lord ye wait;
and give thought to your mission.
Desire a listening ear,
but listen more than they;
be constant in understanding
and hear what the poor say.
Do not be faint-hearted in judgment,
for this is the blight of the Wise;
for the sons of the Lord, Most High
Truth never lies.
Be sparing in your vision,
and fair in rewards;
let none attend your honor,
nor offer to carry your swords.

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Be a friend to all,
an enemy of Belial,
with an open hand always call,
but closed to the vile.
Let judgment be the victor,
and praise be to God;
for He who holds the lictor,
carries a grievous rod.

When I was a young man, my son, I had this strange thought, or vision, of God being like a spider. It was a horrible thought, and I wondered how it could be that God could be like a spider. Then, having finished Hidden Pavilions and The Tempting it occurred to me: All through the Bible God speaks of those who lay snares for others, and will get their own foot caught in their own snares; and He speaks of His own Word being a snare. We also recall Rebekha's name meaning, snare. Thus, we can see how His Word is like a wonderful and intricately woven spider's Web. And because of the Symmetry of this marvellous work, we see His Beauty, where each of His Precepts is like a tiny drop of shinning dew upon the evenly woven threads of His Web.

The spider is, of course, credited to His Creation. We don't suggest He has a terrible image like a spider, however, and offer another analogy of His Image in terms of the Butterfly. Behold, my son, when you pass over the Tabernacle from heaven you will see a lovely golden butterfly with purple, red, and blue wings!

In a manner of speaking His Messiah is like unto a butterfly who comes out of metamorphosis from His gossamer womb, the cocoon of life. For all spirits are like finely woven strings of love, incubating the Personification of Love who is a man in the flesh called The Word of God.

Now the Word is like unto that cocoon. The Messiah comes out of the Word.

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It takes no imagination to see that the world from which He entered the cocoon is very much different than that to which the cocoon releases Him. Would those who knew Him before know Him on His Resurrection (or metamorphosis)? The prophets, including Christ Himself, thought not. For man had not yet seen the mystery of The Word revealed. But when you see it, my son, you will know it. Many have likened it to a Dove, and even I have gone so far to add to it the precept of the oyster producing a great and wonderfully treasured pearl.

The recognition of these things is like taking a Flight of Fancy. You have to release yourself from mortal bonds and let the air carry you just as if you were a tiny spider being carried in the streams of the heavens to found a new place to weave your everlasting web. Thus, you shall understand yourself and the Lord's Desire when you cast your web. And if you are ready, my son, go forth! This is the advise my Lord gave unto me: I pass it on to my son.

Let me tell you yet another parable which I wrote in my youth. I called it a Flight of Fancy. It was about a spaceship searching out new worlds. During the course of its adventure it began to experience an unusual acceleration in speed; it exceeded the speed of time itself.

Now the crew of the ship was man, and that crew was not unlike any other men: still belligerent and vain, but explorers nonetheless. Their vanity caught up with them, however, as soon as they began to break the barriers of time; and they saw another ship coming towards them at amazing and threatening speed. At first our ship hailed the other, with no effect; it hailed the ship many times, still with no answer. Finally, the captain and his crew assessed that the foreign ship was a threat to them and the order was given to destroy that oncoming harbinger of destruction. They fired their lasers and in a moment the tiny blip on their rangefinder disappeared. When the crew saw the tiny blip drop away, they at that instant started to rejoice. Then their ship exploded like a supernova and they were gone themselves forever. What happened? They were actually seeing their own ship coming towards them and destroyed themselves.

Now these men never suspected, or thought, that they could be in two places at the same time. This is the difference between man and the Holy Spirit.

Keeping these things in mind, let me tell you another small poem:

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Behold, the Angel of Air shall bring him,
And every eye shall see him,
And the vast brotherhood of the earth
Shall raise their voice as one and sing,
Because of him.
Even so, Amen.
Behold, he cometh with clouds;
And every eye shall see him,
And they also which pierced him:
And all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him.
Even so, Amen.
And then a voice spoke to me,
And I turned to see Him.
In the Blazing light of Seven Candlesticks
I saw one like unto the Son of man,
Clothed in white, white as the snow;
His head and His hair were white like wool,
And his eyes were as a flame of fire
And His voice filled the air with the sound of rushing water;
out of his mouth went a sharp two edged sword:
and His countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
And in his hands were seven stars,
Full of the Flaming Fire of the heavens.
And when He spoke, his face was streaming light,
Blazing and golden like a thousand suns.
Now the Seven stars are the Angels of the Heavenly Father,
Described once as The Angels of the Seven churches;
And the Seven Candlesticks are the Seven Churches,
Described once as the Angels of the Earthly Mother.

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And the spirit of man is the flame
Which streams between the starlight and the glowing candles:
A bridge of Holy Light between Heaven and earth.
These things saith he that holdeth seven stars in his hands,
Who walketh in the midst of the flames of Seven Golden candles.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith:
To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the Tree of Life
That standeth in the midst of the shining Paradise of God.
After this I looked, and, behold,
A door opened in heaven,
And a voice which sounded from all sides, like a trumpet,
Spoke to me: Come up hither,
And I will show thee things which must be hereafter.
And immediately I was there, in spirit,
At the threshold of the open door.
And I entered through the open door
Into a sea of blazing light.
And I stood before the radiance of a throne,
And on the throne sat one whose face was hidden,
And there was a rainbow round about the throne,
In sight like unto an emerald.
And round about the throne were thirteen seats,
seating thirteen patriarches,
And another eleven seats,
seating eleven apostles.
These were the elders of the Sons of Heaven,
And they were clothed in white raiment.

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And before the throne there was a sea of glass,
like unto crystal,
which reflected all things in heaven and earth;
and round about the throne were Four Cherubim,
Each with the face of a lion,
Each with the face of an ox,
Each with the face of a man,
And each with the face of an eagle.
But then I looked and saw the four again
and where I saw an ox I now saw a cherub;
I looked again, once an ox, next a cherub;
How marvellous, thought I,
And the Four Cherubim sang Holy, Holy, Holy,
Lord God Almighty,
Which was, and is, and is to come.
Then the Lord said to me,
Son of man, lift up thine eyes now the way north;
And mine eyes beheld northward
Jealousy at the Gate of the altar of the Lord.
Then said He unto me,
Son of man, seest what they do?
Even the great abominations that the house of Israel commit,
that I should go far off from my sanctuary?
But turn thee yet again,
And thou shalt see greater abominations.
But lo, they all put the branch to their nose!
Mine eye shall not spare,
Neither will I have pity:
And though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice,
Yet will I not hear them.

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Then the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub,
And stood over the threshold of the house;
And the house was filled with The Cloud,
And the court was full of brightness,
And all was Glory.
Then I beheld six men come from the north,
From the northern gate;
And every man with a slaughter weapon in his hand;
And one man among them was clothed with linen,
With a writer's inkhorn by his side:
And then the man with the inkhorn went out,
He marked the foreheads of those in the city,
Those who cried out for all the abominations
That be done in the midst thereof.
And then he with the inkhorn reported it,
Saying unto the Lord,
I have done as thou hast commanded of me.
Woe unto the City, my son;
Woe unto them for their abominations.
Woe unto the man in Linen, my Son,
Who marketh only the survivors.
But woe unto the abominable,
Woe unto them written out of the Book,
Yea, Woe unto them taken out of the Book of Life

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Then I saw in the right hand
Of him that sat on the throne,
A book written within and on the backside,
Sealed with Seven Seals.
And I saw an angel proclaiming with a loud voice,
Who is worthy to open the book,
And to loose the seals thereof?
Then cried the Four Cherubim and four and twenty elders
Holy, Holy, Holy to God Almighty,
Who looseth the seals of the Lamb,
And the Seven Seals cried out,
Life eternal glorifieth the Lamb,
Inheritance glorifieth the Lamb,
Knowledge glorifieth the Lamb,
Remembrance glorifieth the Lamb,
Lamentation and Woe glorifieth the Lamb,
Bittersweet glorifieth the Lamb
And The Fountain of Everlasting Waters glorifieth the Lamb.
And then the Voice from Heaven,
From the sapphire throne above the Cherubim,
Spake unto me again,
And said, Go and take the little book,
The book in the hand of the Angel,
He who standeth in linen upon the sea,
and upon the earth;
And he gaveth me the book,
And I ate it up;
And it was sweet as honey:
And as soon as I had eaten it,
my belly was bitter.

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Then he saith again,
There is more yet,
And I ate again,
And I saw the Kingdom;
Yet, I ate more,
And I saw mine inheritance,
For it was the light of life;
Eat even more, saith he,
And I joyfully called into Remembrance all things,
But even more was yet to be eaten;
Yea, even the book with the Seven Seals, I ate it,
And the Angel saith unto me,
For it was written for thee,
Who art at once the lowest of the low,
And the highest of the high.
Then said I, I feel faint and weary,
Having eaten moreover the book,
And the angel said, eat more,
There is more yet to fill thee;
And I ate, from Seal to Seal
'Till I could eat no more.

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Then the Seven Thunders thundered
A terrible happening.
Seven times they thundered it,
After which the Seven Thunders
Echoing through the halls of Heaven,
Thought to be Sealed again.
Of These Seals, my son,
I can say no more;
Except we can speak of the Second,
Which is your Inheritance.
Behold, I heard it in a parable,
A comely poem for thine ears;
A goodly song of right and might,
Reserved unto the Latter years.
All the sons of David,
Cried in woe and shame,
All the sons of David,
Suffered for David's name.

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A terrible storm took them away,
Scattered to the seas,
Lonely sentinels on far off shores;
gathered they their honey from foreign bees.
Through horror and worry,
To Babylon again – they feared the Lord,
As the Sons of David set for strife,
Heaven's fury upon them poured.
Shuffled and mixed,
And stirred and fused,
The Sons of David lost themselves
Tired and forgot, names unused.
Mary and Joseph carried the name,
Others carried it well;
The scattering wind lost them all
Beleaguered and poor in Joseph's Well.
Where is the Scribe? Where is the Priest?,
Many were wont to ask.
Living in Hiding day and night,
From the highest to the least.

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Now Levi lived as many see;
Cohen is his name;
But David, our well- beloved David,
not so easily say the same.
But there is a legend of ancient worth,
Where David lived yet more;
For Joseph carried a golden cup
Off to a foreign shore.
The cup contained the blood of David
Carried from the cross;
And David carried the cup away
To purge man of his dross.
Where is the Priest? Where is the Scribe?,
Many were wont to ask,
The Riddle is yet explained,
When we drink from Joseph's flask.
A ruler of Jews with Caiaphas too,
Our Fisher King and his stave,
The Rod of Jesse carried the cup
Well beyond his grave.
Now many a pilgrimage, and Chaucer's too,
I've seen to Arthur's Court,
But few would know the true tale told
How Joseph carried the court.

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But if thou lookest in Chaucer's estate,
My son thy father's there,
The royal chalice hid also more
"neath old King Charles' chair.
We spoke of finding the pearl,
We called it e'n the chalice,
Find the pearl to see the clue
'neath the Monarch's Palace.
Lined from that place ye would to find
A pile of rocks to Heaven looms;
Beneath the pile, a mark of wrath,
Thy grey old papa's tombs.
Nicodemus cried o'er the slab,
Many an eon ago;
Forgot and lost to Aeon's lust,
Blood to his place did flow.
Mystery, mystery, from the heights,
Settled the blood of David,
No greater mystery hath any wrought,
For Joseph the bloodline saved.

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Cousins and Aunts and Uncles too,
Came to David's delight,
To France and Spain and Britain too,
They brought eternal light.
But many speak of Arthur's lore,
Boors and Lancelot, the knights,
Few recall the gift in store
Girdling Sir Lancelot's tights.
O Galahad, my son, I've named thee well,
To carry on the name,
For David's Throne awaits thee boy,
Our Son of Notredame.
Whereof the Word hath gone from me,
To pluck up legends old,
To carry on ol' Jesse's rod,
From Camelot's Fairy Gold.

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'Twas a day ago to my eyes,
Nearing the latter hour,
When the chalice flew above my head
To reveal its brilliant power.
Believe, my son, my present delight,
To bless you with this gift,
I've seen the chalice in thy blood,
extraordinary to lift.
But I toast thee son with the cup,
As no one dared to do,
I muse over musings of my will,
Which no man can undo.
For it was writ by all the scribes;
I merely carry it on;
Thoughts of the mighty will turn in fear,
My move to bishop from pawn.

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Where is the priest? Where is the Scribe?
The sons of David cry;
The Hand of the Priest and the Scribe
They writ upon mine thigh.
Take mine hand, my son, my blessed,
We cross a gentle ford,
Beneath the throne of Monarch's past
We serve The Fearful Lord.
Through vales and fens of yesterlore
We fly above the heights,
Carrying a rose of great desire
Midst eagles and roving kites.
Highland songs ring in our hearts,
Many names and psalms,
Pluck a daisy and little Anna,
Simeon's dates in our palms;
Zecharias, Elizabeth, and Reuben of Jacob,
Ties none too few;
Many names carry the blood
From Joseph unto you.

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Where is the Scribe?, Many will beg,
Wondering where to start;
Heathen raging o'er the Towers
Cannot yet count in Chartre.
A countenance torn midst the sea,
St. Augustine's chapel new,
The heathen ply Beliar's name
Thinking it godly dew.
Lyon and Toulouse shed their tears,
Dropped pearls in the way,
Damsels dance in Chatauroux
For the Monarch's son they play.
Rouen and Troyes open their doors
To tiring dappled greys,
La Verbe was seen in their midst
Singing to templar quays.

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A mighty sword in Britain's gown
Hidden on the ford,
Waiting David's tender hand
To serve His patient Lord.
Where is the Scribe? Where is the Priest?
All the Heathen cry.
The Angel sings There is no time,
And all prepare to die.
Vengeance is mine, so saith the Lord,
He taketh mine Galahad up;
No longer hid nor a spirit of Lore
He calls the carrion to sup.
The prayer is called to remembrance past,
Beliar holds the wall;
Dragons return midst confusing louts
Drowning from the gall.
A tent is raised to cover the fear,
Pebbles at my head,
The noisesome plague arrives again
With Thunder overhead.
The Scroll from heaven is unrolled,
In Mighty David's hand,
A trump is sounded round the wall
No hardened heart can stand.

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Autumn's Feast is nigh to them
Who cannot hold the line,
Who think not of Jacob's Delight:
Blaspheming the Divine.
Overseers come to watch the fray,
Galahad in their midst,
The Angel's glory, an Angel's prayer;
Prisoners hold out their wrists.
Saviors out of Egypt,
Saviors out of Esau,
Saviors in the Winepress,
Saviors in the corn;
Saviors in the temple mount
All the lambs are shorn.
Gideon at the anchor,
Christ at the helm,
All the world takes up the ark,
My Lord hath claimed His Realm.
A prayer of Thanksgiving,
A prayer for our wrongs,
A prayer timely answered
Sentient and tender songs.

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Gideon calls to arms the men
Galahad by His side,
They see the field littered
With death no man can hide.
Before they took to arms my son,
The enemy found a net,
Anxious shouts from every camp
Brought carnage to their Set.
Atop the hill the chariot lay,
Cherubim light their wheels;
Angels whispering to evil ears
And opening up the seals.
Michael stood upon the mount,
Planning His ardor,
Before His troops could be launched
The devil took his lure.
Hooked in jaws with no escape,
Babylon fell to arms,
She took her own in bloody routs
Deceived by crooks and charms.
Babylon fallen, Babylon fallen,
It's Beliar's lament,
The palace he built was but new;
It's crash the heathen's torment.

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Why do the heathen rage?
Why do the heathen rage?
Galahad, my son, show them again:
pen strokes cross the page.
Worry, worry, ever so much,
Must the heathen now,
The curse they always dodged to touch
Soon brings their backs to bow.
A palace built between the seas,
Was thought to raise a Jew;
The Lord hath raised a beast of old
The Vain would ought eschew.
Vanity, Vanity, is the trade
That is Beliar's ply;
The unrighteous call day and night
To his prophet's unending lie.
Why do the Heathen rage, my son?
Why do the Heathen rage?
Cockle shells and Honey dew
Riddles fill their cage.
A trap, a trap, the evil cry,
They think to send a mouse;
The cock is closed upon the main;
Siege engines drum their house.
A chain is laid before their door,
The Jews are glad to see;
The prisoners are released at the sight
As ransom and a fee.

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Bodies thrown over the walls
Create the specter despair;
Galahad faces against the towers
of Beliar's lair.
Nations 'gainst nations all at once,
Taken to the shear;
Galahad standing in their midst
Saying, there's not to fear.
Toulouse is gleaning in the ranks,
Chartre's a happy lark;
Animals book seats in the rear
Watching from the park.
The assets tumbling down are weighed,
The gold is counted; Silver abounds;
Riches are reaped on the ground
Thrown out of the devil's lair.
Lyon looks on shirking to touch
The coins of pleasure's foul works;
She remembers things not long past
How the coins besieged the Turks.
Sodom is seen nearby the fray,
Rebuilt upon the sea;
The Devil's fortress opens his gate
When her people flee.

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The northern gate of Londonberry
Going by the Rhine;
Giants sequestered in the field
Tied into one line.
They look unto the Palace Gate
Wondering in their fear,
Whether time be yet to go the course,
Beliar bewails their rear.
They mount a thrust towards the step,
To enter by Carmel,
But fires above, from Heaven sent,
Spew troubled into hell.
Beliar's frantic at the door,
Tidings of morning heard;
Many flee the Tower's walls;
To escape they were allured.
Galahad is in Edom;
He puts upon his robe;
Michael puts on his armor
He holds for the hope of Job.
Maelstrom of discontent,
Reported out of fire,
Outsiders called unto the fray
Race to heap upon the pyre.

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Phylistia and Lybia race together
Thinking the knot is tied;
Edom intercedes just perchance
To show Lybia lied.
The yoke of Jacob is released just then,
And Edom stands in pride
Jews marvel at old Edom's works
Whom God had once denied.
For Israel stood atop the mount
And read from His Will:
Blessings of God for saving the mount
Against the Jewish will.
The City circled with Galahad's troops,
City of Peace besieged;
Galahad inside with templars anew
The Jews to Him soon lieged.
They sighted from the Western Wall
A place to take their stand;
But fires in the distance
Showed Beliar had fled the land.
Gideon descended in his car
To see the goings on;
Beliar had thought to attack himself
Distracted by the pawn.

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The air was clear with grass anew
And the Lord took up His Throne;
Jerusalem became a peaceful place
And the Jews were left alone.
Beliar was soon bound in the chain
For nowhere was refuge;
His brother killed him out of rage
He cursed the caustic deluge.
How these things were achieved, my son,
Must yet be told to thee;
Be wary yet of prophets to come
Who know not divinity.
Many may ask of a sign in time
To show the prophets true;
Show them thy glad heart, my Galahad;
For we have kept the sign in you.

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In our last poem we recapitulated many things which are already in the scriptures. We said nothing new. It is important to note that the scene thus described is not a world of loving one another. Rather, it is a world in heated battle, where it appears that all sides are against each other's throats. Even the troops of Beliar end up against each other. This is the opposite of the things we yearn to promote, for we would rather see a world come to Peace without travail. While we believe we can be of help in our intervention, we always are reminded of this dark cloud over our head. We must then keep it in sight, and overcome it, so that it becomes not the thing which overtakes us.

There are many wise men in this world. Man, in fact, seems more and more proud of himself in my times. Such inventiveness the world has never before seen. In barely one generation America has introduced probably the bulk of the world's treasures; and with each treasured invention came a villain. This is learning, which, in itself, is not vile; but nothing of worth can be gleaned from it except it comes with understanding how to remove each villain as it surfaces. And a man who tries to glean cannot glean without reaping (sometimes) chaff, rocks, bugs, etc. We can liken this better to eating. When we eat it is difficult to avoid taking in harmful germs. Wisdom, like any other food, sometimes has offensive germs in it. Let us explain.

To the Paulists I would presumably be a harmful germ: something that ought to be spewed out of the mouth. In a manner of speaking I have likened the Paulist portion (their condemning philosophy) to a germ harmful to the Promise of Unity and Peace under the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We have summed their philosophy up as people who seek Peace by condemning others. Perhaps it is unfair, but I think your generation will agree it was nonetheless true.

It has not been my intention to condemn Paul or his followers. I disagreed with him, and the things I disagreed with were plainly described by me. I disagree with condemnation; I disagree with excluding others from participation in the inheritance of God, for any man who is truly a Peacemaker is a Child of God; I disagree with Paul who did not defer to Job's sayings, as to man's responsibility to everything around him, but rather, in a manner of speaking, said piss on the world; we're going to Heaven. He thought not enough of God and His Creation. Perhaps I am again being to rough on Paul, but his followers in my generation express this attitude. That attitude is plain to see. Christians preach loving one another, saying that Jesus loves all men, and yet condemn those who have not been led to Jesus. A minister who fails to introduce a man to Jesus condemns that man. It is not the failure of that man or Jesus in the matter, where a man fails to become saved, but instead the failure of the Minister. Moreover, I would hope no minister would think to blame God for their failures in salvation.

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Take the Jews, for instance. Must they be condemned because these past two thousand years they failed to come to Jesus? In Hidden Pavilions we address this. It is not the Jew's failure; it is the Ministry's, for their arguments were not sufficiently thought out to make the conviction. But in times past, we must acknowledge, the Ministry were lacking an important part of the argument: Israel would one day be restored to the map and in that day the knowledge of the Lord would come. That day has obviously now come and it is evident that the Ministry still carry on their own ways of persuasion through condemnation. This has been thoroughly documented in all of the Television Ministries. Review their films to understand our perception. But they need not condemn now, but merely show the works of God in their full flowering. And they should enjoy it. But we lament that something is in the way of this vision. That thing, we discovered, is, for the first part, the Vanity of claiming to be the Chosen People of God, excluding the Jews of the Original Promise, and making the same mistake the Jews once made. For they took the title and the Promise and thought not to return to God the foundations He desired to fulfill His Promise of the Kingdom. They were not needful of the fact that God's Covenant was a bilateral agreement saying, if you do these things for (yourselves) me, I will fulfill my promise. Nevertheless, God, being our model of fairness, knowing that the Jews would turn away from Him, always kept in His Curse upon them a Blessing for them in the end. For He knew that they would one day come back to Him and, as in the parable of the wayward son, redeem them and kiss them when they come back. So God's attitude towards the Jews all along has been one of Mercy and complete Redemption.

All of the prophets understood this. Paul failed to pick up on the theme and the reason for it.

In the foundations of God there is the theme of loving one another as He loves you. He is an expectant father and certainly anxious over his sons. His desire has been to form a world husbanded by man which is an image of that which is in Heaven. The model He contrived for this expectation is Loving one another and respecting the garden in which one is placed.

We are all prisoners, as pertaining to my generation, in the earth. We cannot yet flee from it. And because we are prisoners and are confined to a limited space, we have always resorted to fighting over that space. On a simple level neighbors will fight with neighbors over such mundane things as a fence. In my case I bought some property which my neighbors had been using. They had planted fruit trees on it. At the same time, they had complained about my dog making deposits on their lawns; theirs returned the favor, I might add. They asked me to fence in my dogs. I began building the fence and thought to ask the neighbors who had planted on my new property if they would like to participate in putting up the fence. They didn't want the fence, because their trees would be lost to them. I offered to install a gate for them and suggested they could take as much fruit from the trees as they desired. One neighbor refused and in rage came up the hill to threaten me as I began marking out the fence line; the other neighbor, in rage, attempted to kill the twenty year old fruit tree he had planted on my new property. He dug up the roots and poured poison on them! Thus we can see how neighbors view their space.

In this matter I was the villain, and the neighbors in question got all the other neighbors on their side of the hill against me. The neighbors who lived above me were, on the other hand, gracious and cooperative with me all along. They had respected the property lines.

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No one likes being a villain or thought a villain. I don't even think Hitler would have appreciated anyone calling him a villain. All men trying to acquire their portion of space on this planet do it not with the intent of villainy but with the intent of taking, as it were, their fair portion, whatever that happens to be in their mind. When one claims more than that which is fair then conflict begins; and conflict brings out the worst in us: hatred. And hatred brings bloodshed.

Recognizing these things, this limitation of space, God thought to provide some laws by which we could govern ourselves in that space. In those Laws He thought foremost of those who would be given the smallest portion: the poor, the homeless, the Widower, and the fatherless. We mention this extensively in Hidden Pavilions  and need not retrace our thoughts here.

The world, it seems, cannot transcend the basic principals of my old neighborhood. It appears it does not desire to attract fair conduct, just as my offers to my neighbors-- hoped would be considered fair--were not attractive to them. They chose conflict rather than fairness.

In Hidden Pavilions  we mention an instance where I was talking with some younger people in Turkey who were concerned about the polarization of the earth between the Two Giants, America and the Soviet Union. They resented being pawns used by these two nations; and they feared foremost the possibility that the next (nuclear) war would be fought on their turf. The Giants would fight over their turf and not see, themselves, the travail of the conflict. I suggested in reply to them that America, for the sake of fairness, could turn over its nuclear arsenal, and everything noxious like it, to some other entity, assuring all of us safety from the nuclear threat. I suggested, for instance, that we could turn them over to the United Nations. They did not respond well to this and thought that it would be better to leave the weapons in America's (and the Soviet Union's) hands! It seems that anyone in control of any space (and the future of that space) is needfully resented by those who are in the dominion or wanting their fair portion of it.

I certainly can be accused of such a thing. Paul can accuse me of trying to occupy his space and say that I am resentful that he owns that space. So we can see how villains come to be and, if a conflict occurs, one in the end is named a villain.

Recognizing these factors which must be considered to find Peace, I thought in Hidden Pavilions to make no claim on the space over which I disagreed. In summing my thoughts, one can see that ultimately I desired very little space: just a small amount of space to put up a Tent. I asked for no more space than that.

Anyone putting up that Tent is an abomination to Paul. So the small amount of space I have asked for is even too much for Paul and his followers! For to them that Tent can be given No Space at all! Thus, we are in contention!

We can compare this to Jesus. He asked for no space at all, as pertaining to the material things of this earth. He did claim some space in the spiritual realm: that being the personage of the Anointed One, or Messiah, which is in Greek: the Christ.

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The space which Jesus claimed was an abomination to the Jews. He did not qualify, in their minds, to occupy that space. He was a false Messiah. Thus, those who believed Jesus is the Messiah became in natural conflict with the Jews.

Now a way of handling this conflict could have been for each man to go his own course and believe as he chooses, leaving the matter in God's hands to one day reveal the truth. But man, not being willing to settle for such a Promise, thought to take things into his own hands and bring the matter to its current state of resolution: that being now the record firstly of martyrdom, inquisitions, and finally the ovens of Hitler. This is what the record shows, and I had nothing to do with writing it.

Verily, many may see me a villain for summing up the last two thousand years in terms of these things, how man has persecuted man in the name of Jesus. But I asked in Hidden Pavilions whether if I could see this, could Jesus Himself not see it also? Who would contend with this observation?

The real conflict can ultimately be resolved in an observation from Heaven. That observation has plainly been expressed that God will one day Prove His Wisdom and Sovereignty over this creation and all men would one day bow down unto Him; and on that day all men would understand Him perfectly and call unto Him with one language and one consent. This can figuratively be described as when the Tower and its Babbling masses are ended.

So in the observation from Heaven we can say that God is in conflict with anyone who challenges this Promise of Unity. We see in the observation that He built a larger fence than anyone of us and He has encircled us with His Desire. And in the observation, the relationship is that We are created to Serve Him and His Estate. End of statement.

The Jews have all along respected that estate.. And the more they were humbled, or deprived of their fair portion of estate, material or otherwise, the more they respected that Promise of the domain.. And we hope that they have learned to respect it well enough that when it comes they will not again deny it and rather joyfully receive it. And respect it for what it is and how it is.

Ultimately the portion for all of us is to learn how to love one another and forsake our own desires, when they produce conflict, to assure Peace. The precept is a thought of a Happy Garden.

We recognize that perhaps a Happy Garden might be considered boring. For to man the absence of conflict seems to be boring. Yet, when any man thinks back upon his life I am sure that he tends to remember the good times, the happy times; and those times undoubtedly were times without conflict. So all men inherently know the model and verily appear to prefer the model. And whilst we cannot foresee the complete annihilation of conflict we hope for times when conflict is mitigated as much as possible. Surely times will still be when a wife complains about her husband's habits (or visa versa) and the two will break into the normal family brawl. Hopefully the brawls will not have as much vigor as they do today or have been in the past.

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But in the matters involving neighbors, be they at the level of a local commune or nations, we hope the application of loving one another as God loves you will be placed in better focus. For it is hoped that all men can sit down with each other just as brothers try to reason with brothers or responsible fathers reason with their children. The requirement is compassion and understanding; sympathizing with the cause or complaint of another, and resolving it fairly for both sides of the complaint. We would hope that the process would be dedicated to not producing a villain. For no man likes to be thought of as a villain.

What we have been discussing, of course, is nothing new. Neither is it just privy to the thoughts of God. For we know that all societies have treasured this criteria, in one form or another at one time or another.

In Hidden Pavilions   I expressed the thought that I hope I could make my passage through this earth without causing the despair of another. But no man can see better than I that I have the potential of being the cause of much despair. Thus, in Hidden Pavilions  we expressed the thought (on several occasions) that it really does not make any difference to us what you wish to believe. Believe what you will. We make this observation with the hope that whatever the belief the cause of God will show through: i.e., loving one another as He loves you. But as pertaining to the theme of our books, one ought to consider a small parable concerning a great Lord who visited His estate: From time to time the lords who had been managing his estate would try to take advantage of their position. Eventually they would attempt to cheat the Great Lord of his fair tithes from the estate. Called to the carpet on their conduct, the lords would grumble over the fairness of their portion and resent serving their master. Though the Great Lord was a fair and honorable man, the grumbling and the cheating finally went too far; and He mounted up in his carriage and went to visit His Estate. He went up to the lord managing His Estate at that time and told him that he would not have to serve him anymore. Then the Great Lord left the Estate to return to whence He came. The next day the Great Lord sent two men to the Estate and the unruly lord was destroyed. The moral to this story is plain. Don't try to cheat the Lord nor grumble over your portion in managing the estate. You can easily be removed.

We can now combine this parable with our parable of the Terebinth Tree to illustrate how easy it is to remove something which is offensive to the Lord. In the parable of the Terebinth, a mighty oak tree, we took one swing and brought it down. There is a lamentation in the act, because the Tree was a mighty tree, its gnarled limbs reaching higher than others, and its age greater than many others. So we had a great deal of respect for that tree and marveled at its greatness. But there was a dragon inhabitating it; and because a dragon lived in it there was not room enough in it for others. Furthermore, the dragon was creating havoc in the surrounding forest. And to get rid of the dragon it was necessary to cut down the tree. We mention this as a lamentation because there was no other way to remove the dragon from the tree. We martyred the tree to save, as it were, the forest.

In The Tempting we compared the Paulists to this Tree. We concluded that the parts of Paul's doctrine which raised the Paulists above others, at the condemnation of others, was a hindrance to Unity. That portion of his doctrine was a dragon in our tree. We say Our Tree because Paul built it serving God's Estate. He used God as the justification of the Growth of the Tree.

To resolve the Estate we suggested that Paul make amends with Peter (or the Jews) and drink, as it were, from the original well. To relate this act to the parable of the Terebinth, we asked Paul to remove the dragon from the Tree. The dragon is, again, Vanity and the things it produces. And in the parable of the Great Lord it is contemplated that Vanity, being what it is, will not be willing to leave the Estate and will continue grumbling over its portion of the Estate (or Tree). The solution in the end was to destroy the grumbler and to do that we cut down the Tree. We martyred our own wonderful Tree to rid ourselves of the dragon.

This image is again expressed in Isaiah, where God refers to His Vineyard. To rid His Vineyard of strange vines not of sweet savor to His Spirit, He decides to knock down the walls of the Vineyard and scatter the seed. The Vineyard is the Kingdom and the Seed is Israel. And it amounts to a precedent explaining what He is capable of doing to the Greater Vineyard grown out of the scattering. Here, again, God martyred His Vineyard. And He asks, Who can tell the difference between Me and My Vineyard? There is no difference, for the Vineyard is His Passion, everything for which He lives. Certainly His Dedication to the formation of the Vineyard, beginning with the Adam and Eve story through all the prophets, expresses no small amount of concern for that creation. We likened His Concern to the Holy Spirit as a being originally husbanding the Garden. He creates heirs to tend it for Him in Adam and has the desire that Adam's Seed will keep it in good order for all time to come. But in the desire evil attempts to interfere with the pleasance of the Estate. The remainder of the story, then, becomes devoted to ridding evil from the Estate. And it, once again, focuses upon martyrdom.

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God is Himself a martyr. This is at the roots of His process of inquiry with man. He was willing to cause something terrible to be done to Himself and tell man about it before it is done. The martyrdom was not without forethought or purpose. It was laid as the keystone of His Proving Himself to man. Man, however, likes to look at things of God from its benefits to man, rather than its benefits to God. In Hidden Pavilions we have obliquely suggested that man ought to try to start thinking from God's point of view: how God is a Father to a Creation and is responsible for the overall creation; not partial to one son over another, per se; but having an ultimate responsibility to all men. That responsibility has to be, at the outset, with goodwill towards all men. He does not judge, as a father, with respect to persons. He, in simple terms, is fair in His Judgments. So men ought to try more to be like Him and be fair in their judgments. For all men, looking man to man, must face the reality that at some point of time they are judged. First they are judged by man, then by God and lastly by themselves. Each and every one of us must eventually judge ourselves.

Most men don't like this idea. They would rather have someone else tell them their judgment.

Let's take Paul, for instance, as a matter for judgment. Would He want to judge Himself? If He sees He is an obstacle in the path of Unity or Peace in the world would He remove Himself as that obstacle?

Now in judgment there is followed execution of the opinion of the judge. When a man hears an opinion and it is heard through a fair trial, not with respect to persons, would he be willing to execute the decision of the Judge?

If, perhaps, two men are fighting over a fence and an independent judgment is reached through the neighbors next to them and that judgment asked that one of the two men give more for the sake of Peace, would that man be willing to execute that judgment on his own accord? Most men, we see by illustration, defer this decision making and force would he force others (the judge) to resolve the matter themselves and remove the property from him? Killers condemned to death force the state to take their life, as a general rule; others commit suicide or try to do it. And we see by this example, when the judgment of the state has passed, the condemned no longer have any recourse in the decision making process. In the matter of murder, the Judge prevents the killer from taking his own life so that the state can apply the penalty.

We mention this to illustrate the cause of God's Judgment. When the opinion is expressed in Judgment, it is always followed with two possibilities. One can repent before it is too late and make restitution for the damages caused; or, on the other hand, one can defer to the Judge's Executive powers. Once one defers to the Executive Power there is no possibility to escape the condemnation or execution of the Will of that Power. In God's scenario we observe that the Wicked will not escape their punishment: death.

In our last poem we summarize the scope of the ultimate Executive Power as it has been expressed through the prophets. If that day occurs it is because man failed to respond to the opinion of the judgment.

We hope, however, that such a day never occurs, that man will answer God when He calls. God, speaking to Israel, explains why He scattered them: Because when I called you did not answer. Remember this, my son, and always keep in mind Lots Wife.....

I would like to end this discourse to you on a more favorable note. I hope that your world has passed over the petty differences that embroil my world, and I hope that by our example your generation will more perfectly fulfill the things a responsible man is required to be.

I can guide you to many books of wisdom. They are everywhere. They are written and even unwritten. Read Buddha, if you will. Did he not hold up the same desire as I? Even our Father? That all men love one another and hold that a perfect model is to pass through this earth without causing the despair of another? Some Buddhists took this to an extreme and walked about with cloth over their mouths so that they would not be guilty of breathing in some innocent insect. This is an extreme; but if there are those who cannot conduct themselves through life with moderation let them walk with veils over their faces. If it helps them be moderate, so be it.

As concerning myself, if seven women were to approach me and ask me to be allowed to wear their own clothes and eat their own food but to be called by may name to take away their reproach, what am I to say? Would I answer as Paul did and say, Verily, do as you wish? I am not God. I cannot speak for God. The rules which come from God involve rules that only God can break. I must urge them to obey the Law as much as they can. Knowing my own weakness in this regard, because I was raised by Paul's conventions, I know how hard it is to change. Again, those faithful to the Law are faithful to the Law and show, by their own examples, that they are not above the Law. Whatever the Law is worth, it expresses a relationship between man and God: i.e., man as an obedient servant of God.

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We agree with Paul that the Law ought not to be necessary to the faithful service of God. If one's heart were pure in service to God, being obedient to His Purpose, then the Law would not be necessary. We see, however, how those who would follow this path, which is a difficult path to follow, because one now becomes his own judge, keeping himself ernestly in the service of God; many temptations occur to mislead one from the straight path of service.

We have seen that the Service of God's Estate can be expressed and understood in simple terms. A loving husband tending His Estate, keeping it happy and fruitful, pretty well explains the precepts to which we ought to adhere. And to maintain this Estate responsibly we see there are two alternatives: One having to do with obeying the Law of the Estate and the other to fulfill the intentions of the Law through our own self control. In view of these alternatives, we see that no man, to date, without the Law, has been able to demonstrate the responsible nature we desire in maintaining our Estate. For even Paul neglected the Estate's Desire.

As concerning this we can make another observation. Any man sincerely trying to serve the Desire of the Lord's Estate should have little objection to serving the Law of the Estate.

Again, there is a major difference between the Traditions created to serve the Law and works serving the Law. If the Law says don't work on the Sabbath, we foremost see in its purpose a standard of rest. Every man should reserve the seventh day of the week as a day of rest, as God rested on the Seventh Day. We see, in fact, the Law of the Sabbath extends into prophesy, concerning the events of the Last Days. The Last Day(s) become a Day of Rest. In Revelation that Day of Rest is expressed as a Thousand Years of Peace, called the Seventh Day. After the Seventh Day the Eighth Day comes into view, bringing a New Heavens and a New Earth, the final Promise of the Kingdom or the Lord's Estate. But here we see, before the Seventh Day comes, there is considerable unrest and travail of all the nations of the earth. The Promise of the Seventh Day, then, is that man can look forward to passing through the Travail and be allowed that final day of rest: Peace on earth and goodwill towards all men.

The Sabbath, then, has greater purpose in it than merely one day out of the week to rest from your labors. It is, in fact, a continuous reminder of the Promise that Peace will one day come to the earth, causing the eye and the ear to habitually pay heed to the Promise. Thus, we can say that the Law of the Sabbath is for Good Purpose; and we can further observe that by ignoring that Law one can fall into forgetfulness concerning the overall Promise of the Bible; and being not aware of that Promise man can easily neglect to be receptive to the Messiah of the Promise. The Messiah, we can again mention, carries the Name of Peace. It is not just any peace or another day of rest; it is, in fact, the Promised Peace repeated over and over in the Bible. We lament once again, as concerning Paul, that he seemed to forget the nature of this Promise in the context in which it was created.

Paul was concerned about hypocrisy: those who obey the Law with insincerity. He concluded it would be better to ignore the Law altogether than be a hypocrite in following the Law. He saw men using the Law to justify their own ends, serving them, rather than men serving the Law. In that format of service he saw traditions being contrived by men as means by which the Law would be observed. We can take in our modern day, for instance, the ban against all kinds of work on the Sabbath. Turning on a light switch is, among some Jews, even forbidden work on the Sabbath. Christ complained in his own day how tradition interfered with the true intent of the Law of the Sabbath. We can once again recall Christ saying that there was nothing wrong with Him healing a man on the Sabbath. The Pharisees viewed His Act as a violation of the Sabbath. We have discussed this elsewhere in detail and need not dwell upon it here. But it is sufficient to say that the Laws giving rest to both man and the earth (every seven years one should allow a field to lay fallow, giving it rest; after seven years debts are to be forgiven, etc.) all impress upon the human mind the need for tolerance to man, his animals, and his fields. Being mindful of this need and addressing it in all ways we can see how it leads us to the thing God has been preaching to us all along: Peace on earth and goodwill towards all things.

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Now the tradition of not turning on a light switch on the Sabbath causes one to either live in darkness on the Sabbath or require others to turn the light switch on for you. Likewise, one must eat on the Sabbath, so someone must prepare the meal. Our intent, being that towards all men, is that all men be given the privilege of rest on the Sabbath. And the rest should be enjoyable; otherwise it could not be perceived as rest. For when God rested on the Seventh Day He allowed Himself to appreciate the Joy of His Creation. We can extend this thought to man: a day of rest is earned for the enjoyment of the fruits of his good works.

Does this mean that a man who is dedicated to feeding the poor through his mission must stop working on the Sabbath and cause the poor to go without a day of food? Must the poor go hungry on the Sabbath? Or must the ill, being served by the works of a doctor, be allowed to die on the Sabbath? We see in answer to these absurdities that a word Tolerance comes into play. You apply the Law with Tolerance for the needs of others. And with Tolerance you will find your service rewarded with a Day of Rest.

We can apply this word Tolerance for the needs of others (all things) to all the Law. For nowhere does the Law require you to neglect the poor, the fatherless, the Widow, the hungry, the homeless, or even the lonely. Certainly your obedience to the Law at the expense of their needs does not make you pure. Thus, it behooves us to always be mindful of the Law but apply it Tolerantly, always being mindful of the needs of others. We do not here say that the needs of others becomes an excuse for breaking the Law; for if their needs are used as an excuse to break the Law it is obvious that the intent of the Law is not being respected. We can here draw upon Paul's Law, or Tradition, however you wish to view it, of Confession. He said not to partake of the Mass unworthily. He required one to go to Confession and then go to Mass free from guilt. Now one going to Confession can approach it insincerely and pay no heed for why he is confessing himself. Thus, in this act of Faith in the Law there can be times when a man can fall into hypocrisy. We again refer to the comment my mother made about Catholics drinking and smoking on our train and then going to confession to erase their sins. She called them hypocrites. We can't say those particular people on the train were Catholics or ever went to confession. The lesson I learned was certainly in her mind a lesson deriding a group of people as being hypocrites. It is better from her protestant point of view to ignore the Law of Confession altogether than to pretend faithfulness to it. This same statement was made by Paul against the Laws of Moses. And we see here how easy it is to turn the charge of hypocrisy from one foot to another. By our analog we mean to say that it is easy to accuse your one shoe of not serving you well while praising the other shoe; the time always comes when one sees defects in his other shoe as well and begins praising the shoe he had earlier condemned. Using this analog we can try to understand God's perspective of people who find different ways of serving Him. One shoe, worn and tattered by abuse, begins hurting His feet; He looks at His other shoe and praises it because it hurts Him less. The day comes when His other shoe begins to show even worse wear and tare. What does He do? Does He toss away both shoes and make for Himself new ones? The answer can be derived from a simple fact: if the shoes still have life in them He repairs them both and in repairing them He tries to make them both the same. Thus, my son, you can understand our cause concerning the disposition of Peter and the Jews and the Gentiles under Paul. We desire to repair Paul to make him more aware of the intent of the Law.

Jews should keep this thing in perspective. If God declares that one day all men will bow down to Him (and presumably obey His Law), it follows that the Jews can no longer look upon the Law as being exclusive to them. That is to say, they cannot ask a nonJew to do work for them on the Sabbath. For all are expected to rest on the Sabbath. Having someone else turn on your light switch on the Sabbath, or having a nonJew cook for you, just is not going to work for you anymore. The necessities of life will require tolerance in respect to the Law. Try to observe the Law but do it with prudence; and do not try to find ways to break the Law, using our guide of Tolerance as an excuse for your excesses.

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God does not make rules with the forethought of breaking them. But He has expressed that one day He would put a New Covenant in our hearts. Now in that Covenant there has to be provision for God's Concerns as well as man's. It is a Covenant involving two neighbors willing to live together. And if man can understand Him, His Will, and live with Him as a good neighbor, then the rules which He expressed must be followed. For we all know that when a conflict occurs between neighbors it is because one of the Commandments was broken. And when that occurs then the covenant which was in effect between the neighbors is in turn broken.

Admire the relationship, then, as God as your neighbor, better yet as your Father, and pay heed to the commandments which guide one to Peace in the relationship. And, if you, my son, feel uncomfortable in maintaining that Peace without the practice of the full body of the Law, then obey all the Law. Observe that those who obey the Law are Faithful to the Law. But we say this with the expectation that as concerning Sacrifice all men will agree by your day that no more blood sacrifice is needed to remind men of the intent of the Law or to maintain the bond of the Law.

Now the final measure of our expectation is that you will be your own judge.

Keep always in mind, my son, that should you err in your judgment an executioner will follow.

In Hidden Pavilions  we lamented that a Firebrand is behind me. It is behind me because I know he is not ahead of me; and it is a lamentation because It is our desire that he never be seen again. I have the hope of Job, as concerning this matter; and I hope that all of you will learn to be comforted in it. When things go awry, crawl into Job. Learn to differentiate between good and evil and when you see your own Vanity in the way, remove it so others can walk with you. Try not to envy others who have more than you. Be temperate and try not to jump headlong into things; go forth only if you think you are ready; be of good courage and of steady hand. Remember the fatherless. Do nothing that would hurt your mother. Behold your father, my son, for I thought to give up my name so that I can be no thing of envy.

Do not be disillusioned over your friends. Those closest to you seem to be the first to deny you and they are quick to support those far off. Nations kill their own prophets. I often muse on this and wonder why it is so. Had I given those closest to me my books, claiming they were written by someone else, as Zohar ,they might have read them. Nonetheless, willingly give your friend your purse; it might be worthwhile to remind him of Judas.

Do not be afraid of delegation; see how thy father hath done it. Glory is fleeting, my son.

Consult the Teacher from time to time and keep David near your bed. They will comfort you when you have nightmares.

Trust in God and be of a happy heart.

This is my advise on the matter.

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Tuesday, October 17, 1989, I had finished this work and was on my way to the printer to pick up the prototype copies of Hidden Pavilions . That same day I was also planning to run off the original copy of this work and then take it to the printer. But then we had a major earthquake in the San Francisco Bay area. The disaster involved a considerable number of deaths, projected into the hundreds, at this writing; and many thousands of people suddenly became homeless.

When the earthquake occurred I suddenly began thinking about the statements I had just made about San Francisco testing God. Since then I have been somewhat depressed over the event and am continually reminded of it when I pass by the fallen freeway section, still holding onto perhaps hundreds of victims, every day after work.

Six days after the earthquake, at this writing, we were hit with a sizeable storm with high winds and rain. Just before the storm hit a man was found alive midst the wreckage of the freeway. There was now hope more living could be found. The storm dampened these hopes, however, and each and every one of us who has watched the proceedings on the wreckage on television were cast down further into the pit of futility. For we are all in a state of helplessness, seeing the reality of months to clear away the teetering edifice. And now there is little hope that any more survivors will be found in that wreckage, all crushed inside their vehicles; many could still be alive, waiting for a rescue which will not be able to arrive in time.

I am not a prophet, but I now know how Jeremiah must have felt when he prophesied against Israel, telling them how they would be carried off to Babylon in captivity. The devastation here in San Francisco was on a far less scale than the Captivity, of course, but nevertheless devastating to many tens of thousands of people. More so, no one was untouched by the earthquake; even those who were untouched wait in fear, wondering if another big shock will catch them in the wrong place at the wrong time, where nature catches up with those who were not caught before. Seeing all of this I pray to God that the next shock will not bring devastation; and I ask Him to be Merciful with respect to this city.

I think Jeremiah must have felt as I now feel. For the Captivity was much like our earthquake. It is an equalizer, treating rich and poor, wicked and innocent, all alike. I think of the Innocent. I lament over the innocent.

While it is true there comes a time when God's Hand must be played, because of those who Tested Him, I must also recognize the need for someone to argue for the Innocent. Cannot God be more selective and pass over the innocent? Truly, for the sake of finding Ten Righteous people I would argue that the whole City be saved. I know there are ten righteous people in this City of millions. I also know that we are all like those of Pompeii living on the side of a Vesuvius. And whilst people tend to challenge nature, which thing I cannot condemn, because it teaches us how to live with our environment, it is worthwhile to take the necessary precautions to be able to live safely and comfortably in one's environment; and it comes to my mind that one ought to include God in the considerations providing for our own comfort and safety, just as we seek to build more earthquake proof structures. For He also is part of the environment in which we have chosen to live. Therefore, my son, I would encourage you to always have your heart and mind upon God and avoid testing Him. This does not mean one ought not to question what He says, for one only learns through posing questions to those gifted with greater knowledge than we. Being mindful of what the Lord says and endeavoring always to learn, then, is a necessary and prudent path to righteousness.

Gladly I call upon the Lord, but with a sadness of heart I call upon those around me and, perhaps like Jeremiah, grieve for them who were caught by God's Wrath: the young and the old, the rich and the poor, the proud and the humble and the popular and the lonely.

page 169

I mentioned this addition to my book to The Advocate. She questioned my reasons for adding an apology into the work. It showed a sign of weakness or vacillation, she thought. Another, hearing about this, also agreed with her.

When I am struck by the arrows of outrageous fortune, I am given cause to stop for a moment and consider the direction I am going. One naturally slows down. Even one, in a manner of speaking, is caused to come to rest. When one is at rest, then things which were beyond his reason tend to come to him. He thinks about God and His Mighty power. And if one is like Jeremiah he suddenly comes to the realization that his pen is backed up by a terrible power, for whatsoever he writes happens; and it is not left to some other generation to witness, for often as not the event occurs immediately after being conceived and written. Once the pronouncement is made it becomes God's challenge to carry out the pronouncement (assuming it is from God).

It is easy to make pronouncements against a City or a nation, with men thinking that those pronouncements cannot apply to their generation, relieving them from the Burden. It is far more difficult and a greater Burden to the prophet who must witness the results of his pen. I am reminded of a small donkey I saw passing me by at the pizza stand on the via Delarosa in Jerusalem. The donkey was loaded down with what appeared to be an intolerable burden of cases of coca cola. Each time it would put down a foot, trembling with each step, it appeared the donkey would collapse under the weight. Seeing this horrible spectacle I wanted to go up to his driver and volunteer to carry one of the cases of coca cola. I couldn't offer to relieve him of his burden, of course, for I am sure his driver would have been offended. Remember, then, my son, what a terrible responsibility one has when pronouncing against another, be it a man, a city, or a nation, for it carries a terrible burden. Remember that you, just as God, cannot turn away and hide your eyes from the Curse of your pen: the devastation, the desolation, and the grief of the innocent. Having knowledge of such a thing beforehand, you may be chosen to witness it and live through it. And should the day come that you find yourself in this framework, remember me, my son, and my lamentation. And remember the small burro...

Chapter 28
Table of the Innocents
(see Four Parables and a Prayer.html)

Delays, delays, delays. I seem to have been plagued with delays in getting this book off to the printer. But it seems well after all, for in just a short space of time the world has been turned upside down. My world has been shocked in so many ways, first with the earthquake and now the bringing down of the Wall, all happening in the time it took to close this book!

page 170

I was talking with a black man named Doc last evening and all around were marvelling at this great piece of hope. But then man speculated, as with the newspapers, on the pros and cons of a reunited Germany. But Doc asked, How many members were there in the Warsaw Pact conference? He suggested that now for the first time in this time of darkness their is light, that the Eastern European bloc of nations now have an opportunity to join the European Commonwealth! And out of this a true United States of Europe can emerge. How exciting he thought this was, as I also would agree with him.

My son, can ye but marvel at how quickly the world can change? We pray that it will be for the better and that perhaps Peace can come out of it.

As to those who are afraid of a United Germany, we ask whether a United Germany would have any relevance to the real issue at hand: A United States of Europe.

But time seems to be passing now much more quickly than I thought possible. After all, I would never have thought that the wall would come down so soon. Be always prepared my son, for the current of time is rushing as a torrent; be ready to receive it. And remember, though you think it too early you may be looking back saying to yourself concerning an event of your times, it was right on time! And even delays may not be delays!

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Updated 5.27.2000; 2.12.2005; 3.20.06

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