265. The Reappearance Of The Christ - 11. CONCLUSION - A. BAILEY

CONCLUSION

The call for preparation for the reappearance of the Christ has gone out; the call to world salvage has sounded forth, and today spiritually-minded men everywhere and disciples of the Christ are assembling all over the world. It is not an assembling upon the physical plane but a profound subjective and spiritual happening. Even those with only a faint glimmer of understanding as to what the call truly signifies are responding, and asking for the opportunity to help, and for guidance as to what they may do.

Today, therefore, we wait for the new Appearing. The Christ is universally expected, and in this spirit of expectancy comes the antidote to the spirit of fear and horror which has descended upon our unhappy planet. Humanity today looks in two directions: towards the devastated Earth and the agonised hearts of men; it also looks towards the Place from whence the Christ will come, which they symbolically call "heaven." Where there is the same expectancy, where there is uniformity of testimony and of prediction, and where all the indications of "the time of the end" are with us, is it not reasonable to believe that a great event is in process of taking place? If, in the midst of death and destruction, there is to be found a living faith (and there is such a faith everywhere) and a burning zeal which pierces through the darkness to the centre of light, does that not warrant the assumption that this faith and this zeal are founded on a deep intuitive knowledge. May it not be a divine fact that "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen?" (Hebrews XI.1.)

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Humanity in all lands today awaits the Coming One—no matter by what name they may call Him. The Christ is sensed as on His way. The second coming is imminent and, from the lips of disciples, mystics, aspirants, spiritually-minded people and enlightened men and women, the cry goes up, "Let light and love and power and death fulfil the purpose of the Coming One." These words are a demand, a consecration, a sacrifice, a statement of belief and a challenge to the Avatar, the Christ, Who waits in His high place until the demand is adequate and the cry clear enough to warrant His appearance.

One thing it is most necessary to have in mind. It is not for us to set the date for the appearing of the Christ or to expect any spectacular aid or curious phenomena. If our work is rightly done, He will come at the set and appointed time. How, where or when He will come is none of our concern. Our work is to do our utmost and on as large a scale as possible to bring about right human relations, for His coming depends upon our work.

All of us can do something to bring the present terrible world situation to an end and to better conditions: the least of us can play our part in inaugurating the new era of goodwill and understanding. It must be realised, however, that it is no millennium for which we work but that our main objective is, at this time, twofold:

1. To break the ancient and evil rhythms and establish a new and better one. It is here that time is a paramount factor. If we can delay the crystallisation of the ancient evils which produced the world war, and arrest the reactionary forces in every nation, we shall be making way for that which is new and opening the door to the activities [189] of the New Group of World Servers in every land—that group which is the agent of the Christ.

2. To fuse and blend the united aspiration and longing of the people everywhere so that the sound of humanity's demand may be strong enough to reach the spiritual Hierarchy.

This will require sacrifice, understanding and a deep love of our fellowmen. It will also require intelligence and wisdom and a practical grasp of world affairs. As the work goes forward in the establishing of right human relations (which is the basic world need) and as the method of so doing—goodwill—is developed, the Christ and His disciples will steadily approach closer to mankind. If the initial premise is accepted that He is on His way, then all spiritually oriented people and the disciples and aspirants of the world will inevitably work—but the premise must be accepted if the incentive is to prove adequate. It is with this thought that we look into the future. The fiat of the Lord has gone forth; Christ stands attentive to the demand of humanity. That demand is rising and mounting every day and "in such an hour as you think not, He will come."

The sons of men are one, and I am one with them.
I seek to love, not hate;
I seek to serve and not exact due service;
I seek to heal, not hurt.

Let pain bring due reward of light and love.
Let the soul control the outer form,
And life, and all events,
And bring to light the Love
That underlies the happenings of the time.

Let vision come and insight.
Let the future stand revealed.
Let inner union demonstrate and outer cleavages be gone.
Let love prevail.
Let all men love.