only our motives and reward us accordingly. They will
give the social climber his short-lived reward, and will
forever bless a devout wife and mother. For the judge-
ment of the laws is eternal and their justice perfect. ‘As
you sow, so shall you reap.’ That is the Law!
When God created us a long time ago as uncon-
scious spirit-germs, spirit sparks with the burning urge
to become conscious, He gave to each of us the same
capacities and potential capabilities as precious gifts to
be used on the long road from an unconscious state to
the state of full consciousness of self, thus of spiritual
maturity. Although undeveloped at the time, these
traits have always been there, awaiting each individ-
ual's effort to bring them to life in the process of
becoming conscious. To each has been given an ability
to excel in the field of his own choosing. All we need
do is develop it aright. The development of these latent
talents are not only an individual's right, but they are
also a responsibility. For if properly developed, they
should contribute towards the general progress of
mankind on the road to spiritual maturity, as well as
furthering the spiritual maturity of the individual
concerned. What a pity it would then be if that talent
was left unused or, for that matter, lost entirely.
Humanity loses yet another valuable gift thereby, for
each person's contribution is as important as that of
his neighbours. Therefore, the notion that only the so-
called ‘born leaders’ eventually become leaders among
men is a fallacy. We are all born ‘potential leaders’
without exception! We all have the ability to take the
lead in one thing or the other. All that is required is for
us to awaken those slumbering qualities within us. By
doing so we awaken our spirit at the same time, forcing
it to become active and involved. The apostles of Jesus,
as an example, were mostly from humble and unpre-
tentious beginnings and with, perhaps, little thought
of leading men into a new religious experience. Yet
they all developed that which was strong in them and
then, quite naturally, took the lead in this field.
Abraham Lincoln, in recent past, came from a humble
background to become one of the most exalted figures
of history. Thus, the most emphatic answer to the
question as to who can lead is, ‘each, in his own way,
and in the field in which he is stronger than others!’ All
we need to do to achieve this is to be truly ourselves,
then the finest qualities within us will blossom forth.W
e must start with the set of circumstances in
which we presently find ourselves. All wishful
thinking notwithstanding, that is the point of depar-
ture, the base from which we must commence the
journey of our development. Even if the base is weak
and insecure, it is nevertheless our starting point. Nor
does it matter what our station in life is at the moment
of our decision. The apostle Paul was a persecutor of
Christians when he decided to dedicate his life to theservice of the Son of
God. Peter was a
fisherman, Lincoln a
day labourer. But
they all had one
thing in common:
the ardent desire to
put their talent to
work, to become
creatively active in
order to realise the
longing for the
enlightenment that
filled their soul. In
other words, they
wanted to help
improve and ennoble
their surroundings,
wanted to add to it of
their own, in their
own way.
When they started, they surely did not know all the
answers. They only sensed vaguely that they wanted to
march forward in a certain direction, but were not
altogether sure of where this forward march would
lead them. Deep within them, there was the great
longing that drew them in this singular direction with
seemingly irresistible power. And so, they plunged into
life as it presented itself to them. They entered the
contemporary scene and moulded it creatively as best
they could, always adapting to the circumstances in
which they found themselves. This took them from
one experience to another; some heart‐warming and
pleasant, others heart‐rending and severe. But in the
process they matured in the fire of this experiencing,
adding to their stature and growing, as it were, in their
leadership role. This was not necessarily done
consciously. They frequently let events push them in a
particular direction, especially when that direction
coincided with their own inner longing. When,
however, events caused them to feel uneasy, urging
them to revolt against what they saw about them, they
stepped out on their own to break new ground and
broach new principles, formulating, no doubt, what
others also longed for but could not express as readily.
Before they knew it, they had become leaders among
men, spearheading the march towards a better future.
In the process of their experiencing, they set goals
for themselves that gave their lives and their activities
more definite directions. The indefinable longing that
precipitated their search for better things became
transformed into the ray of light that beckoned from
the distance. This longing within was actually the
activity of the spark of light and truth slumbering deep
within them, which had become strongly attracted to
the source of Light and Truth from on high. And thePearl • August 2019 13The indefinable
longing within was
actually the
activity of the
spark of light and
truth slumbering
deep within them,
which had become
strongly attracted
to the source of
Light and Truth
from on high.
only our motives and reward us accordingly. They will
give the social climber his short-lived reward, and will
forever bless a devout wife and mother. For the judge-
ment of the laws is eternal and their justice perfect. ‘As
you sow, so shall you reap.’ That is the Law!
When God created us a long time ago as uncon-
scious spirit-germs, spirit sparks with the burning urge
to become conscious, He gave to each of us the same
capacities and potential capabilities as precious gifts to
be used on the long road from an unconscious state to
the state of full consciousness of self, thus of spiritual
maturity. Although undeveloped at the time, these
traits have always been there, awaiting each individ-
ual's effort to bring them to life in the process of
becoming conscious. To each has been given an ability
to excel in the field of his own choosing. All we need
do is develop it aright. The development of these latent
talents are not only an individual's right, but they are
also a responsibility. For if properly developed, they
should contribute towards the general progress of
mankind on the road to spiritual maturity, as well as
furthering the spiritual maturity of the individual
concerned. What a pity it would then be if that talent
was left unused or, for that matter, lost entirely.
Humanity loses yet another valuable gift thereby, for
each person's contribution is as important as that of
his neighbours. Therefore, the notion that only the so-
called ‘born leaders’ eventually become leaders among
men is a fallacy. We are all born ‘potential leaders’
without exception! We all have the ability to take the
lead in one thing or the other. All that is required is for
us to awaken those slumbering qualities within us. By
doing so we awaken our spirit at the same time, forcing
it to become active and involved. The apostles of Jesus,
as an example, were mostly from humble and unpre-
tentious beginnings and with, perhaps, little thought
of leading men into a new religious experience. Yet
they all developed that which was strong in them and
then, quite naturally, took the lead in this field.
Abraham Lincoln, in recent past, came from a humble
background to become one of the most exalted figures
of history. Thus, the most emphatic answer to the
question as to who can lead is, ‘each, in his own way,
and in the field in which he is stronger than others!’ All
we need to do to achieve this is to be truly ourselves,
then the finest qualities within us will blossom forth.
W
e must start with the set of circumstances in
which we presently find ourselves. All wishful
thinking notwithstanding, that is the point of depar-
ture, the base from which we must commence the
journey of our development. Even if the base is weak
and insecure, it is nevertheless our starting point. Nor
does it matter what our station in life is at the moment
of our decision. The apostle Paul was a persecutor of
Christians when he decided to dedicate his life to the
service of the Son of
God. Peter was a
fisherman, Lincoln a
day labourer. But
they all had one
thing in common:
the ardent desire to
put their talent to
work, to become
creatively active in
order to realise the
longing for the
enlightenment that
filled their soul. In
other words, they
wanted to help
improve and ennoble
their surroundings,
wanted to add to it of
their own, in their
own way.
When they started, they surely did not know all the
answers. They only sensed vaguely that they wanted to
march forward in a certain direction, but were not
altogether sure of where this forward march would
lead them. Deep within them, there was the great
longing that drew them in this singular direction with
seemingly irresistible power. And so, they plunged into
life as it presented itself to them. They entered the
contemporary scene and moulded it creatively as best
they could, always adapting to the circumstances in
which they found themselves. This took them from
one experience to another; some heart‐warming and
pleasant, others heart‐rending and severe. But in the
process they matured in the fire of this experiencing,
adding to their stature and growing, as it were, in their
leadership role. This was not necessarily done
consciously. They frequently let events push them in a
particular direction, especially when that direction
coincided with their own inner longing. When,
however, events caused them to feel uneasy, urging
them to revolt against what they saw about them, they
stepped out on their own to break new ground and
broach new principles, formulating, no doubt, what
others also longed for but could not express as readily.
Before they knew it, they had become leaders among
men, spearheading the march towards a better future.
In the process of their experiencing, they set goals
for themselves that gave their lives and their activities
more definite directions. The indefinable longing that
precipitated their search for better things became
transformed into the ray of light that beckoned from
the distance. This longing within was actually the
activity of the spark of light and truth slumbering deep
within them, which had become strongly attracted to
the source of Light and Truth from on high. And thePearl • August 2019 13The indefinable
longing within was
actually the
activity of the
spark of light and
truth slumbering
deep within them,
which had become
strongly attracted
to the source of
Light and Truth
from on high.