OrEd-T-20.6-Heralds of Eternity
37. In this world, God's Son comes closest to himself in a holy relationship. There he begins to find his Father's certainty in him. In a holy relationship, his function becomes bringing that which is outside and lost, back under the laws of God. Only in time can anything be lost, and never lost forever. So, the parts of God's Son gradually join in time, and with each joining, the end of time is brought nearer. Each miracle of joining is a mighty herald of eternity. No one has fear who has a single purpose, unified and sure. And, everyone who shares his purpose, is one with him.
38. Each herald of eternity sings of the end of sin and fear. Each speaks in time of what is far beyond time. Two voices raised together call to the hearts of everyone and let them beat as one. And in that single heart beat is the unity of love proclaimed and given welcome. Peace to our holy relationship, which has the power to hold together the unity of the Son of God. We give to one another for everyone, and in our gift is everyone made glad. We will not forget Who has given us the gifts we give, and through our not forgetting this, we will remember Who gave the gifts to the Holy Spirit to give to us.
39. It is impossible to overestimate my brother's value. The ego seems to do this, but it wants to possess the other for itself, and therefore values him too little. What is inestimable cannot be evaluated. Fear arises from the meaningless attempt to judge what is so far beyond my judgment, that I cannot even see it. I will not judge what is invisible to me, but wait in patience for its coming, or I will never see it. It will be given me to see my brother's worth when all I want for him is peace. And what I want for him, I will receive.
40. How can I estimate the worth of him who offers peace to me? What would I want except his offering of peace? His worth has been established by his Father, and I will recognize his worth as I receive God's gift through him. The gift that is in him will shine so brightly in my grateful vision that I will only love him and be glad. I will not think to judge him. I would see the face of Christ, and know that judgment has no meaning, for judgment is of those who do not see. My choice is judgment or vision, but never both of these.
41. My brother's body is as of little use to him as it is to me. When it is used only as the Holy Spirit teaches, it has no function, for minds do not need the body to communicate. The sight that sees the body has no use which serves the purpose of a holy relationship. And while we look upon each other with the body's eyes, the means and end have not been brought in line. It should not take so many holy instants to let this be accomplished, when one would do. There is only one holy instant. The little breath of eternity that runs through time like golden light is all the same--nothing before it, and nothing afterwards.
42. We look upon each holy instant as a different point in time. But the holy instant never changes. And all that it ever held or will ever hold is here right now. The past takes nothing from it, and the future will add no more. Here is everything. Here is the loveliness of our relationship, with means and end in perfect harmony already. Here is the perfect faith that we will one day offer to each other, already offered to us. And here is the limitless forgiveness we will give each other, already given, and the face of Christ we yet will look upon, already seen.
43. Can I evaluate the giver of a gift like this? Would I exchange this gift for any other? This gift returns the laws of God to my remembrance. And merely by remembering God's laws, the laws that held me prisoner to pain and death must be forgotten. This is not a gift my brother's body offers to me. The veil that hides the gift hides my brother as well. He is the gift, and yet he does not know it. Neither do I. And yet, I have faith that the Holy Spirit sees the gift in both of us, and will offer and receive it for us both. And through His vision we will see the gift, and through His understanding we will recognize it, and love it as our own.
44. We are comforted, and feel the Holy Spirit watching over us in love and in perfect confidence in what He sees. He knows the Son of God, and shares his Father's certainty that the universe rests in his gentle hands in safety and in peace. Let us consider now what he must learn, to share his Father's confidence in him. What is he, that the Creator of the universe should offer the universe to him and know it rests in safety? He does not look upon himself as his Father knows him. And yet it is impossible that the confidence of God should be misplaced.
