The difference between God and humanity is that God is omniscient and people only know of their own affairs. As God is omniscient, God loves all and God’s interest is in all; so, it is with the godly soul. The divine personality expressed through the godly soul shows itself in its interest for all, whether known or unknown to that soul. The godly soul’s interest is not only for another because of their kind nature or sympathetic spirit. The godly soul does not take interest in another person, in their welfare and well-being, because it is their duty, but because the godly soul sees in another person their own self. Therefore, the life and interest of another person to the godly soul is as their own. In the pain of another person, the godly soul sorrows; in the happiness of another person the godly soul rejoices. So, the godly soul, who has almost forgotten themself, forgets the remaining part of their self in taking interest in others.
From one point of view, it is natural for the godly soul to take interest in another. The person who has emptied themself of what is called “self’” in the ordinary sense of the word, is alone capable of knowing the condition of another. The godly soul sometimes knows, perhaps, more than the person themself, as a physician knows the case of the patient.
Divine manner, therefore, is not like that of the parents to their children, of a friend toward their beloved friend, of a king to the servant, or a servant to the master. Divine manner consists of all manners, it is expressive of every form of love; and if it has any peculiarity that peculiarity is one, and that is Divine.
For in every form of love and affection, the self is somewhere hidden, which asks for appreciation, for reciprocity, for recognition. The Divine manner is above all this. It gives all and asks nothing in return in any manner or form, in this way proving the action of God through humanity.
October 11, 1923
CW 1923 Vol II, pp. 769-770.
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