Cheon Seong Gyeong Ⅱ - 255. Restoration of the Original Eden
1 Whenever we think about the original garden of Eden before the Fall, we immediately think about God. Then we associate it with Adam and Eve, whom God blessed after He finished His six days of creation. The garden of Eden was home to our original, sinless ancestors and all things of creation, which had not been invaded by evil or sin. All things were created for human beings and human beings were created for God. Sadly, human beings have not lived for God and, as a consequence, all things of creation have been unable to harmonize with us. Because of this, when we think of the garden of Eden we feel profoundly sad and sorrowful; our mind and body are pervaded with the feeling of how everything has been mistreated.( 006-334,19590628)
God's heart dwells in all created things 2 We should not look at the things of creation with a hollow heart. Since every being in this world of God's great creation lives and moves based on the purpose of one love, God's energy indwells even the tiniest, most insignificant being. God created all things in six biblical days. Yet even the beings He created on the first and second days were related to God's larger vision of the great universe that would appear after the six days of His creation were completed. From this we can firmly conclude that nothing was created without being deeply rooted in God’s heart.( 009-167,19600508)
3 We value the relics left behind by famous people in history. We value the items they cherished during their lifetimes. But if a single grain of sand falls in front of you, you should realize that it is connected to God's heart. It is the work of the Creator, who is higher and greater than anyone else, made lovingly with His own hands. It is the fruit of His heart. Anyone who understands its worth and treats a grain of sand as if it were as valuable as the entire universe is certainly a son or daughter of God.( 009-167,19600508)
4 In a field, no single blade of grass is untouched by the hand of God. When we look at a tree, we can see God's unlimited inner heart growing and flowing through that tree. Not only the grass and trees, but the animals playing in the fields, the insects, and every kind of bird—they were all created by the hands of God who invested His inner heart completely.( 006-338,19590628)
5 How should we think about all the things that God created and loved so much? God created all things and said, "This is good to behold!" But we should consider, if God loved a blade of grass the most, which kind of grass would He love best? If you could think about this without any time constraints, you would feel the grace of God's heart as He created all things, before the creation of human beings. Holding a single blade of grass, you would feel joy in your heart, realizing that it was an object of hope and that it had been created by God's hand. If there were someone like that, even a fallen person, who shared God's heart at the time of creation, he or she could be God's friend.( 006-338,19590628)
6 From among the people who revere Gods heart, await God's ideal and seek His restored garden, there are many people of true heart who sing God's praises and strive to attain divine joy. Yet few remember that God's inner heart is connected to every blade of grass, every insect and all things of creation, and that He feels joy through them. If someone invested all his energy to make an insect, and someone else loved and appreciated it with all his heart and mind, more highly than even its creator, nothing would delight the creator more.( 006-339,19590628)
7 Science attempts to explain the formulas, axioms, principles and laws of the created world and of all things in nature, Literature attempts to express the inner lyrical sentiment of nature, while the arts in their various forms express the apparent or hidden beauty of nature. Philosophy also tries to explain the basic principles of nature. Religion, however, is on a higher level than all of these. Then what is it that true religion should explain? It should explain the deep emotional feeling that flows through the heart of nature. This is religion's responsibility.( 006-340,19590628)
8 It is unimaginable that human culture would exist separate from nature. We cannot speak about human culture apart from nature. No matter how much people boast of their influence or assert their power, if they ignore nature, it is all of no use. Nature not only enriches our lives, it is indispensable to our earthly lives. Therefore, if you cannot feel the heart that flows within all natural things, you cannot enjoy true happiness in your life and you cannot rise to a position of glory where you can relate to God.( 006-340,19590628)
9 Even when you contemplate a blade of grass, you should be able to do so from God's perspective. When you look at a flower, you should do so with the heart of God. When you look at insects, birds or all other animals, your inner feelings should connect with the heart of God. If there were a person like this who could connect with the heart of God, even one who could not explain nature through the logic of science using formulas and definitions, could not express feelings through literature, could not display the beauty of nature through art, or had no energy to feel the love of nature, still that person would be a great scientist, writer, artist, philosopher and religious leader.( 006-341,19590628) |