London
John M. Watkins
21 Cecil Court, Charing Cross Road, W.C.2
1919
How many of us inwardly feel a secret longing to find God; andthis usually accompanied by the perception that we are confronted by animpenetrable barrier—we cannot find Him—we can neither go through this barriernor climb over it! We have faith. We are able to admit that He exists, for wecannot help but perceive a Will dominating the laws of the Universe; butsomething deep within us that we cannot put a name to, something subtle, secret,and strange, cries aloud, "But I need more than this, it is not enough; I needto personally find and know Him. Why does He not permit me to do so?"
We might easily answer ourselves by remembering that if, in everyday life, we greatly desire to see a friend, our best way of doingso is by going in the direction in which he is to be found: we should considerthis as obvious. Then let us apply this, which we say is so obvious, to God. Wewaste too much time looking for Him in impossible directions and by impossiblemeans. He is not to be found by merely studying lengthy arguments, brilliantexplanations of theological statements, or controversies upon the meanings ofobscure dogmas. He is not even to be found through organising charity concertsand social reforms however useful. We shall find Him through a self strippedbare of all other interests and pretensions—stripped bare of everything but ahumble and passionately seeking heart.
He says to the soul, "Long for Me, and I will show Myself.Desire Me with a great desire, and I will be found."
Scattered all through history are innumerable persons, bothgreat and insignificant, who looked for the Pearl of Great Price: and not toomany would seem to have found it. Some sought by study, by intelligence; some bystrict and pious attention to outward ceremonial service; some by a "religious"life; some even by penance and fasting. Those who found sought with the heart.Those who sought with careful piety, or with intelligence, found perhaps faithand submission, but no joy. The Pearl is that which cannot be described inwords. It is the touch of God Himself upon the soul, the Joy of Love.
The entrance to the land of happiness and peace is through unionof the will to Christ, by love. How can this sense of love be reached? Bycentring the wheel of the mind, with its daily spinning thoughts, upon the ManJesus, and learning to inwardly see and hold on to the perfect simplicity and love of JesusChrist. We can form the habit of taking Jesus as our heart and mind companion.We are all aware of the unceasing necessity of the mind to fill itself: wecannot have no thoughts until we have advanced in the spiritual life to along distance. We may well see, in this, one of the provisions made by God forHis own habitation in the mind of man—a habitation too often hideously usurpedby every kind of unworthy substitute. Petty social interests and occupations,personal animosities, ambitions, worries, a revolving endless chaos offutilities, known and praised by too many of us as "a busy life"!—the mindbeing given opportunity only at long intervals, and usually at stated and settimes, to dwell upon the thought of God, and the marvellous future of the humanspirit. We are like travellers who, about to start out upon a great journey,pack their portmanteaus with everything that will be perfectly useless to them!
Now, it is possible to put out and obliterate this chaotic anduseless state of min