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honor·and the property of.your fellow man be as dear to you as your
own."· Frankly, the honor· and name of our brothers hasn't been as
"dear" to us as God's law �ays it should, be,. And that is the basic
yardstick He uses in judging us in human relations. That should be
an extremely sobering thought.
Jesus Christ's last night on earth as a human being was an
emotion etched event. He knew He would not be physically present
with His church till His return. He knew the weakness, sins, faults,
power struggles and selfish attitudes of those around the table with
Him -- and of those who would come later. He also knew they all had
PRIDE, that ancient adversary of peace and harmony in the Church
of God. So He prayed! If you examine the theme of that prayer
in John 17, you will find it is UNITY. "Holy Father, keep through
your own name those whom you have given me, that they may be one."
He asked for God's special help to keep us together. That the wills,
wants and pride of the members of Christ's Body would not cause
disharmony. And in case anyone wanted to argue about what unity
is ('as surely many would) He added "as we are". As close and
mutually respectful as the Father and the Son. There is no finer
example or standard for measuring unity.
With all that has happened over the last several years, the
answer to Jesus Christ's prayer is probably the most pressing need
for the Church today. We should all be praying for oneness -
especially now.·
Most things take action as well as prayer before they are
accomplished. Unity is no exception. It takes positive action
to produce unity--by everybody.
If words have divided us, words, coming from a right spirit,
can help bring us together.
To begin, every member of the body of Christ should let the
honor of his fellows be as dear to him as his own.
When someone's name comes up in conversation, make your words
convey the love and respect due a brother in Christ. I am not
suggesting we all become Pollyannas. You can disagree with someone
respectfully. (The British have developed this into an art form.
For the French, it is a duty of civilized men!) The key is to assume
that if he were present he would put forward sound reasons for his
actions or words, that are at least as valid as yours. IF his actions
and/or words are known to you. You may have been mongerea by a rumor!
Next, the supply of news from official sources must come closer
to the demand. Not that supply will ever equal the demand. That is
impossible. But for years there has been much room for improvement.
Many rumors involve finance, Mr. Rader and even Mr. HWA himself.
So Mr. Rader, as Mr. HWA's assistant and Treasurer for the Work, has
held two "forums" for employees here at Pasadena. He asked for any
question or a � y subject from the floor. The enquirers have been�
candid in their questions. Mr. Rader has been equ�lly candid in his
replies.