The Evangelical Universalist Forum

GEORGE'S GEMS

“I do not say we are called upon to dispute and defend the truth with logic and argument, but we are called upon to show by our lives that we stand on the side of truth. But when i say truth, I do not mean opinion. To treat opinion as if that were truth is grievously to wrong the truth. The soul that loves the truth and tries to be true will know when to speak and when to be silent.”

― George MacDonald, Unspoken Sermons: Series I, II, III

“Jesus tells us we must leave the self altogether-yield it, deny it, refuse it, lose it. Thus only shall we save it… The self is given us that we may sacrifice it. It is ours in order that we, like Christ, may have something to offer- not that we should torment it, but that we should deny it; not that we should cross it, but that we should abandon it utterly.”

― George MacDonald, Unspoken Sermons: Series I, II, III

Amazing truth:

The true question is forgotten: “Have I left all to follow Him?” The important thing is whether we are letting God have His own way with us, following where He leads, learning the lessons He gives us. ~~ George MacDonald

I like George MacDonald’s remedy here for deflating the ego or as he says getting out of the “false self”. “Tomorrow hasn’t arrived” he says. Indeed God hold’s the future in His hands and He’s a God of love. I have all the reason to have hope and not let the “youthful dreams slip”. This shouldn’t make one inactive though. MacDonald speaks here of doing God’s will and being of service. Getting out of yourself by doing the will of God helps when things are gloomy. And keeping away from sin and you won’t be shameful or depressed. Even exercise helps. I walk around an outdoor track where there is beautiful scenery of ponds, fountains, ducks. I try to go at sunset or sunrise so that the beauty helps cleanse my mind and thought. Stilling my thoughts while walking is like a meditation but an active meditation. Doing God’s will doesn’t have to be volunteering to help the homeless but it can. Simply working around the house doing yard work of helping someone at A.A. Hard work helps relieve depression as you get out of yourself. And don’t let the false self take control. As George MacDonald says in the same book quoted above on union:

This is taken from the Novel by MacDonald “What’s Mine is Mine”. It’s about a woman named Christiana as she is falling in love with another man.

To save man or woman, the next thing to the love of God is the love of man or woman; only let no man or woman mistake the love of love for love!

Here MacDonald is describing love of God as being in love with love. God is love. And the closest thing to love of love is the love between a man and woman. We are not to mistake the love of love with the love between man and woman. It’s the same thing Rumi is talking about:

I Am In Love With Love

I am in love with love
love is in love with me
my body fell in love
with my soul
and my soul fell in love
with me
we take turns in loving
we take turns in being loved

Rumi

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That is a wonderful and wise quote.

Also: Beuchner:

If theres no room for doubt, theres no room for me.

  • originally published in The Alphabet of Grace

—Donal Grant

And there is no creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and laid open before the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Donal Grant to Lady Arctura (who was raised up in the Church of Scotland to think that correct belief is everything, and especially the belief that Christ died for the elect to save them from God’s condemnation to hell of the non-elect):

Oh that is a JEWEL of a gem!

[size=130]From GMD’s novel “Donal Grant”:

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[size=130]From GMD’s novel “Donal Grant”:

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From Adela Cathcart, Volume 2

Beautiful & True :slight_smile:

I hope George was right. I’d like him to be right.