SILVER BIRCH'S RELIGION
IHAD to smile when I read in the Guardian, a religious journal, a letter attacking Spiritualism which contained the sentence, “Ask the spirits 'Which is the true religion?' and they become in a hurry to get out and the séance is terminated.”
The reason I smiled was that the previous evening Silver Birch had been asked by one of the sitters, “What is your definition of religion?” The guide was not “in a hurry to get out"; the séance was not terminated. In fact, Silver Birch is always pleased when he is asked questions, and this occasion was no exception. This is the answer he gave:
"Religion is to serve the Great Spirit by serving His children. Religion has little to do with the conventional ideas of your world. Religion is that which enables the Great Spirit in you to be revealed in your life. Religion is that which increases the tie between you and the Great Spirit and between you and His other children. Religion is that which makes you go out into your world and give service wherever you can. Religion is service, and service is Religion.
"All else does not matter. When the physical body falls away all the creeds over which human beings have for so long fought and striven are shown to be empty and vain, meaningless and purposeless, for they have not aided the growth of the soul by one iota. The growth of the soul is only increased by service, for as you forget self in the service of others so your own soul grows in stature and in strength.
"There have been for too long too many so-called religions, cach with a variation of a message. The things which they hold most dear are in reality of no value. The things for which they have, in the past, caused blood to flow, tortured, maimed and burned, do not increase the spirit of man by one inch. They have divided mankind into opposite camps; they have created barriers; they have caused needless differences in countries; and in families. They have created disputes; they have done everything that stands for disruption and dis-harmony. They have failed to unite the children of the Great Spirit. That is why we care not for buildings and conven-tional religion. We are not concerned with what a man calls himself. It is what he does that matters."
One sitter suggested that war had brought more religion into the world, for there was more friendship and com-radeship among people than there had been before.
"That is quite a different matter," said the guide. “That is due to hardship, which makes you conscious of another's burden, which creates sympathy, a little more toleration. It helps in fellowship, in mutual understanding of one another's troubles; it breaks down barriers. But true religion goes further than all that, for it seeks always to inspire to service, and service is the most important thing of all that your world requires more than ever to-day. That is simple truth, yet it is because of its simplicity that we have had difficulties in the past. Had we offered you some high-sounding title, some new phrases coined with mystical attractiveness, then some would want to listen because they would consider that here was something which would feed the intellect and lift them above the common rut.
"We do not desire to feed intellects, but to feed starving souls, to teach them how to equip themselves for the life of to-day and the eternal life of to-morrow. You are pilgrims on an eternal road. You sojourn here for a while, but soon you will depart, the staff of knowledge, I hope, in your hands, ready when you come to the fork in the road, prepared for what lies ahead. You are travellers; you are on the march all the time. This is not your eternal home; you have not reached that yet.
"Do not let all the thoughts and worries of a material world engulf you. Keep your true perspective and realize that there is within you an eternal, unquenchable spirit that will survive all that encompasses you, that will help you to overcome all your difficulties, that demands preparation for the larger life that one day it claims for its own. You should learn how to obtain that strength from within, so that you can face the trials and the difficulties of each day with calmness, with knowledge, with hope, with faith.
"Man has sought for too long to find spiritual truth in out-ward semblances, in material forms, in ceremonies, in rituals, in dogmatic assertions, in the performance of certain rites called religious, in the wearing of labels, in the adhesion to a sect, in the worshipping of buildings set aside for what are called religious purposes. But the Great Spirit can only be found within; not without. Hymns, religious services—these are but the husks. They are not the kernel of true religion.
"I do not mean that you should all strive to become mystics, to shut yourselves up away from the world. I do mean that you should strive to unfold that greater part of yourselves that seldom finds expression. And in the develop-ment of your oversoul, your spiritーcall it by what name you willーyou will be strengthened in your resolve, in your purpose to labour for humanity. There is much to be done. Many require the knowledge which is, to you who are here, commonplace because you have dwelt with it for so long that its acceptance is second nature to you."
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A PRAYER BY SILVER BIRCH:
LET us all pause to attune ourselves to the mighty power of the universe, to the source of all life, to the fountain of all wisdom, to the divine mind, that we may refresh our-selves and gain strength, that we may bathe ourselves in its wisdom, that we may receive direction, purpose and under-standing.
Oh, Great Spirit, we all desire to be Thy servants to the fullest measure, to spread Thy truth, Thy wisdom, Thy love and an understanding of Thy eternal natural laws. We desire to give Thy children an understanding of their place in Thy infinite scheme—that they may truly find themselves and learn to use the power that Thou hast given them in a world that is full of darkness and bitterness, anger and hatred. We desire to stress the simple truths of spirit realities, which pro-vide always the eternal foundations for justice, for right, for goodness and for beauty. To those who have lost their way, who know not where to find Thee, our aim is to teach them that Thou art within them, that Thy infinite spirit resides within their beings, that truly the kingdom of heaven is with-in, a kingdom of joy and happiness, a kingdom of wisdom and understanding, a kingdom of toleration and righteousness.
We desire to reach all those who are sad and weary, sick and distressed, who mourn and who are not yet comforted, who are tired and weary, who know not where to turn for guidance and for understanding, so that they may realize Thou hast not left them alone. Our mission encompasses the whole world of matter and all people who dwell in it, making no distinction between them, realizing that Thy spirit flows through every human nature, through every facet of the mighty universe, and is expressed in every atom of conscious-ness,
With the recognition of that truth there will come a new peace, which will quicken the hearts and souls and minds of men and make them live for one another, serving Thee by serving Thy children everywhere.