Sunsets Into Sunrises
Bishop Martin - The Progress of a Soul in the Beyond
- Chapter 125 -
BOREM AND THE SUFFERING NUNS.
The three now approach the poor women in the friendliest manner, and Borem speaks to them:
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(Borem): "Dear sisters, listen to me patiently. Knowing that your hearts are troubled and that this brother rejected you harshly when you were seeking justice, I shall now see that justice is done to you. Being myself a guest of this house, I was unable to interrupt the host as he was speaking to you, for in his own house everyone is the chief administrator of justice.
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But now the Lord of all hosts has entitled me - although myself a guest - to dispense the justice of love to you. Therefore, I will now, to the best of my ability, do justice to you and straighten out in the name of the Lord whatever is troubling or offending your hearts. Do all of you find this satisfactory, dear sisters?"
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(Say the women unanimously): "Oh, yes, dearest friend, there is no doubt that you are a true friend of God, who means well and recognizes the suffering of our hearts, and we are only too willing to accept your advice. However, we do not want to have anything to do with this Martin. Instead of comforting us in our trouble and showing us the truth if we should have been wrong, he sent us to hell, into the bath with the devils! This was a most unheavenly action on his part, considering that he is, or at least wants to be, a citizen of heaven. We would prefer him to withdraw altogether so that the sight of him will not annoy us."
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(Says Borem): "Never mind, dear sisters, leave all that to me, and I will straighten things out. Our brother Martin is not an evil spirit, but like myself, a good one of the Lord.
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We had a lot of trouble and annoyance with those still rather wicked guests in the bath and, tired from the task that rather overtaxed our strength, we were on our way to that mighty friend to get His advice, when you approached us at the worst possible moment. As a result, the easily excitable Martin treated you rather unkindly which, as already explained, is quite excusable.
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In view of these circumstances, I am sure you will forgive him as he loves you all very much and is delighted to have you as guests in his house. Surely you will forgive him! I would, if you had offended me."
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(Say the women): "You know, dearest friend, we shall do what you suggest, but mind you, only for your sake will we forgive Martin his rudeness. If he should ever treat us like that again, we would not so easily be able to forgive him.
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He may be a good man, and he is certainly handsome, but what does the outer appearance help if the heart is unripe like a green apple eight weeks after blooming? If Martin would treat us like you do, he would find that we, too, have loving hearts. However, as a tyrannical host, he can be sure to find no love, but instead something quite different.
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Thank God we now possess celestial beauty, too. All the men who are here in considerable numbers have already looked at us with great appreciation. Not that we pride ourselves on this, knowing that all external beauty is a gift of God, but it hurts our feelings that Martin and that mighty friend of yours don't find us attractive at all.
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Those two sisters over there are not really any more beautiful than we are, but that friend loves them above everything and devotes almost all His time to them, whilst we are standing here like poor sinners, noticed by nobody, for everybody is looking at those three. How could we not be hurt by all this, especially since in our hearts we had already formed the most sublime conjectures about that friend, which, however, must wither like flowers on earth without the necessary nourishment.
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The heart, too, needs nourishment if it is to grow strong in love. But how are our hearts ever to grow strong if, instead of being fed, they have to keep fasting?"
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(Says Borem): "Yes, my dearest sisters, your claim is justified. Just have a little patience and soon your hearts will be fully satisfied. As you know, the good physician heals the sick first and then only calls on the healthy.
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The same applies here also. As soon as those two patients have fully recovered, that physician will come to you, too. Therefore, have a bit more patience and follow me. I will show you something most wonderful."
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(Say the women): "That, dear brother, is not necessary, for in this vast hall there are so many wonderful things to see that one could not take one's eyes off them anyway.
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This magnificent floor, which seems to have been composed of all the different most precious gems in a variety of colors, creating the effect of garlands .. .
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Those splendid tall columns, carrying the indescribably beautiful galleries - they shine as if made from gleaming rubies, inside which a great number of stars are floating like goldfish in water, thus producing constantly new, most beautiful shapes of light. . .
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Thus, there are thousands of splendors here for which we have not even a name. In view of all these splendors presenting themselves to us in this hall, we have not the slightest wish to look at any more magnificent and wonderful things.
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Our eyes are saturated with what they see and need no more. But it is a different story with our hearts. So far, they have not been provided for. What is the use of letting the eyes feast if the heart is suffering? Provide for our hearts first, then our eyes will be easily satisfied."
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(Says Borem): "Dear sisters, your claim is right and justified, but it has been made before you know what it is that I want to show you. How do you know that what I am going to show you is for the eyes and not for the heart? Could not there be something most wonderful just for the heart?
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What is more important, the eye or the heart? Cannot the eye be blind and the heart still enjoy the fullness of love? Is there a mortal eye that can see God? No, a mortal eye is blind for that, but a heart can imagine God and love Him. It can even become a living temple for Him, the Lord, wherein He can dwell. So what is more, the eye or the heart?
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If this is so, how can you, dear sisters, think that here in the Kingdom of the Heart of God I would want to take you where there are wonders for the eye alone?
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I assure you that here everything is exclusively for the heart. The eye is nothing but a true witness of all that happens to the heart and what one heart offers to another. Thus, the wonder I intend to show you is not for your eyes, but only for your hearts.
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Since, however, here in the Kingdom of God no one is blind and the vision of every being is quite as strong as the heart, the eye, of course, witnesses all the experiences of the heart. Thus, you, too, will be seeing with your eyes all that happens to your hearts. So follow me!"
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In response to these words of Borem's, all the women follow Borem, Martin and Chorel to the door leading into the world of the sun.