The Messenger

Baha'i Faith
Since there can be no tie of direct intercourse to bind the one true God with His creation, and no resemblance whatever can exist between the transient and the Eternal, the contingent and the Absolute, He hath ordained that in every age and dispensation a pure and stainless Soul be made manifest in the kingdoms of earth and heaven. Unto this subtle, this mysterious and ethereal Being He hath assigned a twofold nature; the physical, pertaining to the world of matter, and the spiritual, which is born of the substance of God Himself. He hath, moreover, conferred upon Him a double station. The first station, which is related to His innermost reality, representeth Him as One Whose voice is the voice of God Himself, To this testifieth the tradition: 'Manifold and mysterious is My relationship with God. I am He, Himself, and He is I, Myself, except that I am that I am, and He is that He is.' And in like manner, the words: 'Arise, O Muhammad, for lo, the Lover and the Beloved are joined together and made one in Thee.' He similarly saith: 'There is no distinction whatsoever between Thee and Them, except that They are Thy Servants.' The second station is the human station, exemplified by the following verses: 'I am but a man like you.' 'Say, praise be to my Lord! Am I more than a man, an apostle?' These Essences of Detachment, these resplendent Realities are the channels of God's all-pervasive grace. Led by the light of unfailing guidance, and invested with supreme sovereignty, They are commissioned to use the inspiration of Their words, the effusions of Their infallible grace and the sanctifying breeze of Their Revelation for the cleansing of every longing heart and receptive spirit from the dross and dust of earthly cares and limitations. (Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, 66-67)

Judaism
The Eternal thought, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am going to do, seeing that Abraham is to become a large and powerful nation, and that all nations of the world are to seek bliss like his? I have chosen him that he may charge his sons and his household after him to follow the directions of the Eternal by doing what is good and right." (Genesis 18:17-19)

The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me [Moses] from among you, from your brethren - him you shall heed. (Deuteronomy 18:15)

Buddhism
Homage to Him, the Exalted One, the Arahant, the All-enlightened One. To the Buddha I go for refuge. To the Norm I go for refuge. To the Order I go for refuge. (Khuddaka Patha)

Islam
Say, "Obey God, and obey the Messenger; then, if you turn away, only upon him rests what is laid on him, and upon you rests what is laid on you. If you obey him, you will be guided. It is only for the Messenger to deliver the manifest Message." (Qur'an 24.54)

Verily We have sent messengers before you, among them some of those of whom We have told you, and some of whom We have not told you. (Qur'an 40.78)

Christianity
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men…. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son of the Father. (John 1:1-4, 14)

Do you not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; how can you say, "Show us the Father?" Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me? (John 14: 9-10)

Sikhism
The whole world seeks to attain the transcendent state. Without the true Preceptor's aid it is not attained. Exhausted with learning, pundits and astrologers fall into sects and are lost in delusion. The transcendent state is attained only on meeting the Preceptor, should He of his will show grace. Brother! Except through the Preceptor the transcendent state may not arise. (Adi Granth, Sri Raga, M.3, p. 68)

Says Nanak, "The Master is the Lord's image; The Lord in the Master pervasive - Brother! Between these lies no difference." (Adi Granth, Asa Chhant, M. 4, p. 442)

The Eternal thought, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am going to do, seeing that Abraham is to become a large and powerful nation, and that all nations of the world are to seek bliss like his? I have chosen him that he may charge his sons and his household after him to follow the directions of the Eternal by doing what is good and right" (Judaism. Genesis 18:17-19).

The question is rhetorical. God does not intend to hide His will from Abraham or from anyone. He makes Himself known to every human being personally and to society at large through His Messengers and the scriptures provided through them.

The inability of human consciousness to overview the reality of God does not mean that God does not make Himself known. God makes Himself known through all of creation; every atom of existence bears testimony to the existence of a creator. The human mind is stirred as it touches reality itself. The soul "leaps" when it touches the reality of its own being and is fulfilled in its awareness of God. The experience of God, His remembrance, is the Messenger - the word of God. The Messenger is the presence of God to any human being in any context. God speaks to the human soul and to the human mind through His Messengers. Baha'u'llah, the Messenger of the Baha'i Faith, referring to the two natures of the Messenger - physical and spiritual - explains the spiritual nature as "born of the substance of God Himself".

Since there can be no tie of direct intercourse to bind the one true God with His creation, and no resemblance whatever can exist between the transient and the Eternal, the contingent and the Absolute, He hath ordained that in every age and dispensation a pure and stainless Soul be made manifest in the kingdoms of earth and heaven. Unto this subtle, this mysterious and ethereal Being He hath assigned a twofold nature; the physical, pertaining to the world of matter, and the spiritual, which is born of the substance of God Himself. He hath, moreover, conferred upon Him a double station. The first station, which is related to His innermost reality, representeth Him as One Whose voice is the voice of God Himself, To this testifieth the tradition: 'Manifold and mysterious is My relationship with God. I am He, Himself, and He is I, Myself, except that I am that I am, and He is that He is.' And in like manner, the words: 'Arise, O Muhammad, for lo, the Lover and the Beloved are joined together and made one in Thee.' He similarly saith: 'There is no distinction whatsoever between Thee and Them, except that They are Thy Servants.' The second station is the human station, exemplified by the following verses: 'I am but a man like you.' 'Say, praise be to my Lord! Am I more than a man, an apostle?' These Essences of Detachment, these resplendent Realities are the channels of God's all-pervasive grace. Led by the light of unfailing guidance, and invested with supreme sovereignty, They are commissioned to use the inspiration of Their words, the effusions of Their infallible grace and the sanctifying breeze of Their Revelation for the cleansing of every longing heart and receptive spirit from the dross and dust of earthly cares and limitations." (Baha'i Faith. Baha'u'llah, Gleanings, 66-67)

The reality of God is articulated into the personal and cultural fabric of humanity through the Messengers of God - Abraham, Zoroaster, Moses, Buddha, Krishna, Christ, Muhammad, the Bab, and Baha'u'llah. As initiators of independent world religions, they are the tether between this world and God for the individual and for society. The vast majority of the individuals currently on the earth who profess a personal belief in God do so in the context of religious experiences associated with one of the world's major faith traditions.

The Messengers corroborate the Divine and temporal aspects of Their missions through scriptural statements concerning their identity. For example, Jesus comments: "No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known." (Christianity. John 1:18) The reference to Himself as the only Son addresses His divine nature. Similarly, the Gospel of John begins with a description of Jesus as the Word of God. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men" (Christianity. John 1:1-4). The Messenger is the eternal word of God; He who makes God known.

This passage goes on to address the physical nature of the Messenger. "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son of the Father" (Christianity. John 1:14). Jesus, as a Messenger of God, is both a human being and the Word of God. Beholding or recognizing the glory of God is an experience of the fundamental unity of God. The title "Son of the Father" is a reference to the divine nature of Jesus. The physical, historical Jesus that initiated the Christian religious dispensation was the vehicle or lamp associated with the one light of God. Experiencing the light of God through a relationship with Jesus, does not negate the same experience through a relationship with Moses, Buddha, Zoroaster, Krishna, Abraham, Muhammad, the Bab, or Baha'u'llah. There is only one light of God, not knowable or describable save through His own Self, though there are many lamps. Recognition of the divine nature of Jesus or the other Messengers is realization of the Self of God. Conceptualization of the historical, cultural aspects of the missions of the Messengers pertains to the temporal nature of Their dispensations.

Buddhism
I am the Tathagata, the Most Honored among men; I appear in the world like unto this great cloud, to pour enrichment on all parched living beings, to free them from their misery to attain the joy of peace, joy of the present world, and joy of Nirvana. (Lotus Sutra 5)

Hinduism
Fools misjudge me when I take a human form, because they do not know my supreme state as Lord of Beings. Unconscious, they fall prey to beguiling nature such as belongs to ogres and demons, for their hopes [ascribing to God human motives] are vain, and so are their rituals and their search for wisdom. (Bhagavad Gita 9.11-12)

I [Krishna] am the goal of the wise man, and I am the way. I am his prosperity. I am his heaven. There is nothing dearer to him than I. (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.12)

Truth is victorious, never untruth. Truth is the way; truth is the goal of life, reached by sages who are free from self-will. (Mundaka Upanishad 3.1.6)

Confusing an image or concept of the Messenger with God's voice or presence is the age old human mistake described in all of the world's scriptures. "Invent not similitudes for God; for God knows, and you know not" (Islam. Qur'an 16.74). "You shall have no other gods before Me" (Judaism. Exodus 20:1-2). Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (Christianity. John 14:6). He did not say that the images you have created in your mind of Me or the interpretations of scripture you have constructed in your thoughts are "the way, the truth, and the life." Placing the image of the Messenger, His life story, rituals, practices, theology, or even our thoughts of His grace before His presence sublimates the Messenger to our will and way.

Fools misjudge me when I take a human form, because they do not know my supreme state as Lord of Beings. Unconscious, they fall prey to beguiling nature such as belongs to ogres and demons, for their hopes [ascribing to God human motives] are vain, and so are their rituals and their search for wisdom. (Hinduism. Bhagavad Gita 9.11-12)

The presence of Jesus, Buddha, Zoroaster, Krishna, Muhammad, Moses, the Bab, and Baha'u'llah is the presence of God. In the beginning of John's Gospel, the Messenger is referred to as the eternal, creative "Word" of God that was in the beginning with God and through which all creation is fashioned. The "Word" that is the "light of men", "that was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world" (Christianity. John 1:9). None can adequately describe the remembrance of God that He gives us through His Messengers; not even to ourselves.

The following statement of Krishna echoes the identity statement made by Jesus as "the way, the truth, and the life." "I [Krishna] am the goal of the wise man, and I am the way. I am his prosperity. I am his heaven. There is nothing dearer to him than I" (Hiduism. Srimad Bhagavatam 11.12). In another passage from Hindu scripture, the truth is identified as the way. "Truth is victorious, never untruth. Truth is the way; truth is the goal of life, reached by sages who are free from self-will" (Hinduism. Mundaka Upanishad 3.1.6). The Messenger, God as He makes Himself known, is eternal life, the desire of the heart, and the fulfillment of being. In Buddhism the Messenger is called the Tathagata.

I am the Tathagata, the Most Honored among men; I appear in the world like unto this great cloud, to pour enrichment on all parched living beings, to free them from their misery to attain the joy of peace, joy of the present world, and joy of Nirvana. (Buddhism. Lotus Sutra 5)

When we enter the presence of God in prayer or meditation or through the activities of our lives and we see with our own eyes the beauty of God and hear with our own ears the accents of His voice, that experience is "the way, the truth, and the life."

Christianity
And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them. Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?....But if I cast out devils but by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. (Christianity. Matthew 12:25-26)

The physical lives of the Messengers, including the histories and reported sayings or the writings of the prophets of God, can be understood as metaphors and mantras directing our attention toward the spirit of God. Jesus directs us toward God when He refers to Himself as the bread of heaven and instructs us that there is no way to heaven except through eating His body and drinking His blood. This can be understood as a metaphor describing the spiritual food that is derived from partaking of the presence of God through Jesus. It was not an instruction to a select few individuals to attain heaven through cannibalism. The incident was a wonderfully eloquent way of admonishing us not to confuse our image of Jesus with the bounty of His presence - not to confuse spiritual bounty with concepts or literal understandings. It is an admonition not to confuse the lamp with the light. Asking which Messenger is the true one is like asking which lamp is the true lamp. Lamps that provide light are true lamps; Messengers who provide the presence of God are true Messengers.

One of the implications of replacing God with concepts of Him can be seen in the context of the current world situation. To the degree that the adherents of the different religions of the world are bringing individuals and their behavior in closer proximity to God, they are all working toward the same end. The result is unity. To the degree that they are using religion to pursue an end other than the spirit of God, the house of global humankind suffers disunity. Jesus said, after being accused of being Satan, that a house divided against itself could not stand.

And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them. Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?....But if I cast out devils but by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. (Christianity. Matthew 12:25-26)

There is only one voice of God manifested through the various Messengers that have appeared throughout the evolution of people on this planet. Self-righteousness in this context appears as the rigid human act of joining partners with God by proclaiming an understanding of God to be God and a particular religion to be the only true religion. Righteousness is the infinitely flexible human position that proceeds from the experience of humility before the Messengers of God. In the context of the current world, humility before the presence of God bears the fruit of religious unity and the peace that its fellowship affords. Insistence on the pre-eminence of any understanding of God betrays a lack of humility before His presence and results in the pursuit of narrow agendas, alienation, mistrust, intolerance, conflict, and even war.

The Gospel, along with the scriptures derived from the all of the Messengers of God, is the word of God, the truth that is not limited by human conception. Jesus with respect to the eternal name of God is Moses, Zoroaster, Buddha, Krishna. The reference to His name is not to followers of a literal name, but to followers of His reality - the word or presence of God.

Jesus cautioned His followers not to be literal but to look toward the spiritual meanings of His teachings. When He referred to Himself as the "Bread of God," He was not saying that He was a loaf of bread. "For the Bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world" (Christianity. John 6:33). Jesus also said, "Follow me and let the dead bury their dead" (Christianity. Matthew 8:22). It is a statement indicating that there were two kinds of dead. One death is that of the physical body; the other is the death of the spirit. Spiritual life is the word of God that reaches the human heart with the "Good News" of eternal life in the presence of God.

Christianity
But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is on our part. (Mark 9:39-40)

Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come….For the tree is known by his fruit. (Matthew 28:31-33)

Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (John. 4:22-24)

Zoroastrianism
Then do I proclaim what the Most Beneficent spoke to me, the Words to be heeded, which are best for mortals: those who shall give hearing and reverence shall attain unto Perfection and Immortality by the deeds of good spirit of the Lord of Wisdom! (Avesta, Yasna 45.5)

An event described in the New Testament can be understood in the context of the underlying unity of the world's prophets. The apostle John approached Jesus and informed Him that there was someone casting out devils in His name but that this person was not one of their followers, so they stopped him. "But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is on our part" (Mark 9 39-40). The primary purpose of the Messenger of God is to bring individuals to the presence of God. The followers of the various religions have their own purpose fulfilled by receiving the gift from the Messenger and by sharing it. Jesus instructed John that the teacher that was casting out devils was not working against him.

In another passage, Jesus explains that the primary responsibility of individuals in this life is to receive the Spirit of God no matter from which Messenger.

Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come….For the tree is known by his fruit. (Christianity. Matthew 28:31-33)

Receiving the Holy Ghost, the spirit of God, is the fruit of God's forgiveness. All sins shall be forgiven except sins against the spirit of God even failure to recognize the person of the Messenger, the Son of man. By using the term "Son of man," Jesus was referring to the physical aspect of His station as the Messenger of God. Even if a person did not recognize Jesus as the Messenger of God, forgiveness was still available through recognition of the spirit of God. Individuals who accept the presence of God are by God's presence forgiven of their separation, even those that do not recognize the latest Messenger. There is no cure for refusing to accept the gift of the presence of God.

A similar admonition is provided in Zoroastrian scripture. "Then do I proclaim what the Most Beneficent spoke to me, the Words to be heeded, which are best for mortals: those who shall give hearing and reverence shall attain unto Perfection and Immortality by the deeds of good spirit of the Lord of Wisdom!" (Zoroastrianism. Avesta, Yasna 45.5). The primary fruit of the Messenger is the realization of eternal life in the presence of God - "Perfection and Immortality by the deeds of good spirit of the Lord of Wisdom."

Speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well Jesus said, "Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth" (Christianity. John 4:22-24). The Jews taught the spiritual recognition of God - "we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews." Jesus brought the recognition of God to all that were willing to "worship him in spirit and in truth."

Baha'i Faith
Thus doth the Nightingale utter His call unto you from this prison. He hath but to deliver this clear message. Whosoever desireth, let him turn aside from this counsel and whosoever desireth let him choose the path to his Lord. (Baha'i Prayers, 307-11)

I swear by God, the Peerless, the Incomparable, the True One: for no other reason hath He - the supreme Testimony of God - invested Me with clear signs and tokens than that all men may be enabled to submit to His Cause. (Selections from the Writings of the Bab, 12).

By the righteousness of Him Who is the Absolute Truth, were the veil to be lifted, thou wouldst witness on this earthly plane all men sorely afflicted with the fire of the wrath of God, a fire fiercer and greater than the fire of hell, with the exception of those who have sought shelter beneath the shade of the tree of My love. (Selections from the Writings of the Bab, 12).

All the keys of heaven God hath Chosen to place on My right hand, and all the keys of hell on My left… (Selections from the Writings of the Bab, 12)

I am the Primal Point from which have been generated all created things. I am the Countenance of God Whose splendor can never be obscured, the Light of God Whose radiance can never fade. Whoso recognizeth Me, assurance and all good are in store for him, and whoso faileth to recognize Me, infernal fire and all evil await him… (Selections from the Writings of the Bab, 12)

I testify unto that whereunto have testified all created things, and the Concourse on high, and the inmates of the all-highest paradise, and beyond them the Tongue of Grandeur itself from the all-glorious Horizon, that Thou art God, that there is no God but Thee, and that He Who hath been manifested is the Hidden Mystery the Treasured Symbol, through whom the letters B and E (Be) have been joined and knit together. I testify that it is He Whose Name hath been set down by the Pen of the Most High, and Who hath been mentioned in the Books of God, the Lord of the Throne on high and the earth below. (Baha'i Prayers, 13)

Likewise continue thou to ascend through one Revelation after another, knowing that thy progress in the Knowledge of God shall never come to an end, even as it can have no beginning. (Selections from the Writings of the Bab, 91)

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, Believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from hence forth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father , and the Father in me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. (John 14:1-10)

All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. (Matthew 11:27)

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. (John 14:26)

The Messengers are the signs of God in the human world - the world that is separate from God. Compared to reunion with God the world is like a prison. The Messengers provide us with a safe path to choose the presence of God that frees us from the prison of remoteness. "Thus doth the Nightingale utter His call unto you from this prison. He hath but to deliver this clear message. Whosoever desireth, let him turn aside from this counsel and whosoever desireth let him choose the path to his Lord" (Baha'i Faith. Baha'u'llah. Tablet of Ahmad). We have this place to stand, the world, which is not in the presence of God, from which we can chose to approach God. The Messengers provide the signs that provide a safe approach to God through their lives and teachings. "I swear by God, the Peerless, the Incomparable, the True One: for no other reason hath He - the supreme Testimony of God - invested Me with clear signs and tokens than that all men may be enabled to submit to His Cause" (The Baha'i Faith. Selections from the Writings of the Bab, 12). The Messenger is a safe approach to God to the degree appropriate to our capacities. "All the keys of heaven God hath Chosen to place on My right hand, and all the keys of hell on My left…" (Baha'i Faith. Selections from the Writings of the Bab, 12). The Messenger provides the optimal path through reward and punishment. To the person that sincerely seeks the presence of God, He provides the measure of grace appropriate to their capacity. To the human heart whose time to approach God is upon him but who is negligent, the Messenger provides the motivation or grace appropriate to the situation. Our position is shaped by our response to the Messenger. Submission to the will of God results in nearness to God while refusal results in remoteness and error.

Jesus talked about His being the approach to God in a conversation with Thomas and Philip. They were troubled about their relationship with God.

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, Believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from hence forth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. (Christianity. John 14:1-10)

The passage begins as an admonition not to be troubled. "Let not your heart be troubled." The conversation with Philip and Thomas is meant to assure them that Jesus is the path to God. Jesus is addressing the mystery of the nature of the Messenger that directs us toward God through our uncertainty. He tells them that God has "many mansions." The gifts associated with His presence are infinite. The Messenger is God in that He makes the presence of God known to the awareness of the individual. He does not do this just once. The approach is infinite. The Messenger provides the ever-increasing experience of the presence of God.

There is nevertheless confusion over the experience of the person of Jesus in the flesh and the experience of the presence of God that Jesus provides as the Messenger. "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father." Jesus is addressing the nature of the Messenger. He is both the person standing in front of them and the presence of God that He provides for them. But Thomas and Philip are troubled because the presence of God is not constant - awareness comes and goes. They are not in a constant state of certitude about their relationship with God through Jesus. Jesus assures them that He is the presence of God with them and that they need not fear. "If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from hence forth ye know him, and have seen him." However, Philip wants complete certitude. "Philip saith unto him, Lord shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us." Jesus instructs them that the approach to God is progressive and involves periods of distance in the relationship and He reassures them that He will always guide them. Jesus tells Philip and Thomas that although He leaves them to themselves, they will always know the way to Him. "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." Jesus assures them that they always have the capacity to turn to God. "And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know."

Jesus is addressing two levels of separation and identity that are aspects of the mystery of the Messenger. He is differentiating between His physical presence and His presence as the word of God. Both of these aspects of the Messenger come and go. The one refers to the consciousness of society at large and to the physical nature of the Messenger - Jesus was speaking of His coming death and His eventual return. The other refers to the consciousness of the individual - Jesus was speaking of His presence as the word of God. "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." He is identifying Himself as the presence of God that they have experienced. Both aspects of the Messenger refer to the ongoing progression of the approach to God. He appears to humankind progressively as different Messengers. He appears progressively to the individual throughout this life and the next in response to individual efforts to follow the admonitions of the Messenger.

Jesus is the Messenger of God, the Son of God that is beyond human perception or attainment. "All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him" (Christianity. Matthew 11:27). He is the source of life. There is only one source, but the way is infinite, limitless. There is always more of God's bounty to experience. "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you" (Christianity. John 14:2).

God is self-subsistent and we are contingent. Implicit in the relationship is that God does not make Himself known to us completely. We would need to be God to know Him completely. He does not make us His equal by somehow elevating us to the station of God nor does He provide final confirmation of His reality by becoming physical. The person of the Messenger is not God. He is the word of God. The Messenger is how God makes Himself known. The Messenger speaks as God. For all intents and purposes for human beings, the Messenger is God in that we cannot know God except as He makes Himself known. There is always more to know and therefore a longing for more.

Later in the same chapter Jesus tells Thomas and Philip that He will always be available to them through the presence or spirit of God. "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you" (Christianity. John 14:26).

The signs of God that Jesus provides as well as the presence of God are the path to God. The Messenger is the outward sign and the personal proof. The Messenger is also the fulcrum through which the choice toward or away from God is realized. "I am the Primal Point from which have been generated all created things. I am the Countenance of God Whose splendor can never be obscured, the Light of God Whose radiance can never fade. Whoso recognizeth Me, assurance and all good are in store for him, and whoso faileth to recognize Me, infernal fire and all evil await him…" (Baha'i Faith. Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p 12). The presence of God provides fulfillment. Unbelief by its nature is distance from God, which is the fire of remoteness. Our approach to the Messenger is our approach to God. When we turn toward God, we find the refuge of eternal life in His presence. When we turn away, we condemn ourselves to alienation. Through the Messenger we are given the power to choose the path to God and to testify concerning what we have witnessed.

I testify unto that whereunto have testified all created things, and the Concourse on high, and the inmates of the all-highest paradise, and beyond them the Tongue of Grandeur itself from the all-glorious Horizon, that Thou art God, that there is no God but Thee, and that He Who hath been manifested is the Hidden Mystery the Treasured Symbol, through whom the letters B and E (Be) have been joined and knit together. I testify that it is He Whose Name hath been set down by the Pen of the Most High, and Who hath been mentioned in the Books of God, the Lord of the Throne on high and the earth below. (Baha'i Faith. Baha'u'llah, Baha'i Prayers, 12-13)

As we wrestle with our choices to recognize and comply with the directives and guidance of the Messengers, our lives ebb and flow in proximity to God. The process is eternal. "Likewise continue thou to ascend through one Revelation after another, knowing that thy progress in the Knowledge of God shall never come to an end, even as it can have no beginning" (Baha'i Faith. Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 91).