Serving God’s Purposes

 

By Richard Kieninger

 

What can we human beings give to God? The answer to that is nothing! His position at the pinnacle of all Creation affords Him the power to create instantly whatever He can imagine, and similarly the Archangels and Angels have no possible personal use for anything we on the physical plane of existence could offer. We can adore God, but that is only to our one-sided advantage since God’s welfare does not depend on us one whit. He is Love and Compassion at its highest expression, and we can learn to achieve communion with the spirit of His Love; but at the human level, He manifests impersonally as Absolute Justice through karma. Thus we perceive Him primarily through His Universal Laws. Invite Him as we may to use us as His instruments, He will not interfere with our own self-determination or make tools of us. We are in error if we seek to surrender our will to His, for only nether forces respond to this kind of invita­tion. The proper emphasis is to maintain tenacious control over one’s own will and make it coincide with God’s Will. Fortunately, the Brotherhoods have been successful in discerning God’s Laws so that man may live in peace with his fellows and in concord with Nature.

 

The main point of this discussion so far is that we cannot repay our Creators. Although we can be thankful and grateful, it is beyond our power to reciprocate for the giving of such priceless gifts as our very lives or the beauties of a bountiful planet and a Cosmos which provides all the physical and spiritual tools for our Egoic advancement.

 

Our real indebtedness to the Greater Beings is deep indeed, and the per­son who is aware of this seeks devoutly to serve these marvelous Beings in a direct, personal way—but perforce he cannot. However, we can serve God’s purposes! How? In the only way which is within our power—by SERVING OUR FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS AND ADVANCING OURSELVES EGOICALLY. The various churches of the world seek to serve man by spread­ing and preserving a concept of God and by organizing charitable assistance for the less fortunate among us. A man can serve his fellows and thereby promote God’s purposes by contributing monetarily to the maintenance of his church, the support of its trained clergy and the service of its charities. The Brotherhoods, however, point out that monetary contribution, though essential, is just a minimal and all-too-shallow involvement. In order to be happy, a man must give of himself and be a servant of man. The Brothers are authorities on the deep satisfactions afforded by doing for others; for the higher a Brother advances, the more he serves the rest of us and the more contentment and joy He thereby derives from His existence.

 

Americans today suffer a soul-crippling malady called non-involvement. Its only cure is to doggedly force oneself to get out and do things with others and for others until it becomes so enjoyable that one is happily addicted to it. Televi­sion has contributed much to the growth of non-involvement. This form of entertainment fosters impassive observation of tragedy, violence and crime, dis­courages moral judgments and dulls one’s empathy with the problems of others. We have also become so independent, due to our present national prosperity, that it is rarely necessary these days to nurse an ill friend since his hospitaliza­tion insurance affords a hospital stay; there is no longer a need to help our neighbor raise his barn; we shuffle off our aged grandparents into institutions; and the people with personality and health problems are sent to impersonal state agencies. Our evident success in having established expensive means to rid ourselves of persons who might inconvenience our lives has tended to make us cold, inconsiderate, lonely and dehumanized individuals. Now we even avoid the involvements of romantic love because of its reciprocal responsibilities. In­stead we increasingly abet instant sex—a hollow substitute for a deep, life-long association with another human being. We don’t want to have to adjust to or consider the equal rights of others with whom we could associate; therefore, we settle for the solitary life wherein our selfish wants need not be infringed on. Hermit ascetics are also of this ilk but are thought to be spiritual searchers. The Brothers, on the other hand, are always involved with serving others; indeed, the life of a cloistered monk rarely serves mankind. What is there for us in this world if it is not to learn by involvement with other Egos? All the deeper satisfactions of life spring from our interrelationships. The most important les­sons for man to learn are how to relate to his fellows peacefully, lovingly, forbearingly and helpfully.

I hope that Adelphi can recapture to the fullest the joys of dreaming together and building together. As each person seeks to serve the others and do more for the benefit of the group than he hopes to receive in return, then we become a group ready to further the purpose of our existence. When this atti­tude has been attained, how shall we best serve God’s Plan? Certainly by pro­moting and supporting the Brotherhoods’ work to establish a Civilization wor­thy of the name. Their great Program is being brought to culmination in our own lifetime after thousands of years of preparation. Yet even the important role of Adelphi will fail if people do not make it work. And that means involvement—personal contribution of skills, time, finances, mutual goodwill and beautiful dreams to be precipitated into reality. This is how man can serve God.

 

 

 

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