|
|
CHAPTER 9
The Lord is more than His Creation
God holds us, fallen though we be, by the roots of our being and is ready to send His rays of light into our dark and rebellious hearts. The very consciousness of our imperfection and sin betrays the pressure of the Divine on our hearts. Cp. Tukaram : "Fallen of fallen, thrice fallen am I ; but do Thou raise me by Thy power. I have neither purity of heart nor a faith firmly set at Thy feet. I am born of sin. How often shall I repeat it? Says Tuka." Again : "I am void of understanding, needy and worse than needy. I cannot steady my mind ; I cannot stay my wayward senses. I have exhausted effort ; peace and rest are far from me. I have offered Thee perfect faith; I have laid my life at Thy feet. Do now as Thou wilt, I can only look to Thee. o God, I trust in Thee, I cling firmly to Thy feet. Tuka says, It is for Thee to deal with my efforts. "[1] The publican, in the parable, prays from the depth of his heart, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner."
This verse does not mean that there is an easy escape from the consequences of our deeds. We cannot prevent the cause from producing its effect Any arbitrary interference with the order of the world is not permitted. When the sinner turns to God with unclistracted devotion, a new cause is introduced. His redemption is conditional on his repentance. Repentance, as we have noticed, is a genuine change of heart and includes contrition or sorrow for the past sin and a decision to prevent a repetition of it in the future. When once the resolution is adopted, the transformation of the lower into the higher is steadily effected. If we believe in human effort, the growth may be hard. Error, imperfection and self-will are difficult to overcome, but when the soul gives up its ego and opens itself to the Divine, the Divine takes up the burden and lifts the soul into the spiritual plane. Tulsidãs says : "A piece of charcoal loses its blackness only when fire penetrates it. There are no [2] unforgivable sins.
|
|
