May 1985
Credentials for Government
Shall a man aspire to govern the world who cannot at first govern himself?
Shall a man aspire to spread the word of faith,
without first proving that he is a man of faith?
Shall a man yearn for the coming of the Righteous Judge,
thereby to bring righteousness to the world,
without first allowing the Judge to discipline his own life?
Where then is the man who has allowed the divine fires
to burn deeply into his own soul?
Where is the one who,
receiving a severe jolt from his Master,
will harbour no grudge or resentment?
Where is the one who waits, and waits again,
and when all seems to have failed,
will still patiently expect the word of the Lord to be fulfilled?
And shall I not sift the Nation in the palm of my hand?
For my Nation of Faith is a mixed company,
and I must place it in a bag and shake it up to find what sort it is.
And all those who refuse me shall be refused,
and all those who accept me shall be accepted.
All those who remove my iron hand of discipline
shall find that they have also removed the divine hand of approval.
But those who have allowed the rod upon their backs
shall rule my nation with a rod of iron.
And all those who guard my words as hidden treasure
shall distribute my wealth to the nations.
But those who let the gold slip through their fingers like grains of sand
shall find themselves embarrassed in my presence.
For lo, I have arisen to shake the Nation,
and I shall take all the unshakeable ones
and join them unto myself as gems of great worth.
For all those who look upon their Lord as Unspeakable Treasure
shall become my own treasure.
And all those who seek true spiritual inheritance in a new land
shall become my own inheritance,
and they shall rule and govern those who hitherto refused me,
says the Lord.
