The Second Decade

As we enter the second decade of the twenty-first century, let us redouble our efforts to spread the inner light of the Spirit throughout our lost and troubled world. Let us devote a short period of each day to seek the stillness that is at the heart of each one of us; the stillness that speaks to us of eternity and love and compassion and of tolerance.

The world has become so consumed by the illusion of material wealth and power, that we are in danger of condemning future generations to a struggle for physical existence that will make the efforts made in the past to rise from our primitive origins seem as nothing compared to what they will have to endure. It is all so unnecessary; the Great Over-mind has so arranged things that the Earth can provide everything we need for a fulfilling life of preparation for our future in the spiritual realms. All it needs is for humanity to re-examine our priorities, recognise the realities of spiritual existence and understand that the treasures of the earth are for us to share with one another and protect for future generations.

Greed and materialism blind us to this reality. They bind the eyes of the inner spirit with the illusion that Earth is real and Spirit is a dream. In fact the reverse is the case. Earth, beautiful as it is, is a mere shadow of the brilliance and beauty of the spiritual world. When we consider what a beautiful place is Earth, then imagine a world ten or a hundred times more so and we begin to approach an understanding of the difference between the illusion of earthly power and beauty and the reality of the world of spirit where love, unconditional love, rules. Greed and materialism condemn us to a much greater sojourn in the darkness of materialistic misunderstanding than is intended for us. Free will is the greatest of the gifts we have received from the Great Over-mind and using it we can choose to bring forward the dawn of heavenly reality, or continue to flounder in the morass of ‘earthly delights’ for as long as we wish.

The choice is ours but in choosing we must remember nothing happens in a vacuum. Every choice we make has a greater or lesser effect upon all others. “Not a sparrow falls but what the Father knows.” This is because all life is interconnected through the power of Spirit. Each time we choose the selfish or materialistic option, so the darkness surrounding us becomes slightly denser, whereas when we choose to follow the promptings of our inner, higher self, so the light surrounding us shines more brightly. Because of our interconnection with all other life that shares the Earth with us, the increase or decrease in the light we carry within us is communicated to all. Thus as John Donne, the Elizabethan poet claimed, “No man is an island, entire unto himself.”

Thus we see that “personal responsibility,” one of the foundations of the philosophy of Spiritualism, is in reality mutual: I truly am my brother’s keeper in this respect. Because, to quote Alexander Pope, “All are but parts of one stupendous whole, whose body nature is and God the soul,” and because light will always eliminate darkness, the smallest step in the direction of spreading the light of spiritual understanding will have a disproportionate effect upon the darkness with which humanity has clothed this beautiful globe. Thus can we be encouraged that even though at present we may be few, the continuing impact of light emission from a few individuals will soon create a change for the better. Let us move into this second decade confident in the power of the spirit to “lighten our darkness” if only we will have trust, determination and above all, love.

Happy New Decade to you all. - Lionel