Unity (A Sermon)

Johan van der Stok
New Age Frontiers, July 1967

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. This was in the beginning with God. All things were made by the Word and without this was not anything made that was made.
(John 1 :1-3)

Verily, verily I say unto you. The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things so ever he doeth these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth Him all things that Himself doeth: and He will show Him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.
(John 5 :19-20)

Verily, verily, I say unto you, whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house forever, but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
(John 8:34-35)

In the first reading we clearly see the close connection between God and the creation. In Genesis we read that God spoke and it came to pass. It almost looks as though it happened the same moment God had the idea. The Divine Principle tells us that each part of creation had to go through three stages, Formation, Growth, and Perfection.

These three steps form a unit which can produce new creation. We clearly can see that an animal, a dog for example, cannot be a mature dog without having gone through the gestation period and without having been a young dog. Those three time periods united form a matured dog, a completion, a unity. Those three time periods, to stay in this example, gestation, young, adult, must form one continuation, one unit in time. We cannot have a gestation time, then stop -- a couple of years nothing; a time to be young, stop -- again a couple of years nothing; and then an adult period, In other words, those three periods of growth must form one continuation through which life in a unit can expand.

An architect who has an idea of a building must put it on paper to see it overall and correct it with the local codes in that city or to change it according to the owner's satisfaction. After that period of growth it must be sent out for bidding by the contractors to become a perfect building. Because if not done directly, the idea of the owner can change, manufactured products can change, through which mechanical, electrical or architectural corrections can occur in the original plan. The idea which was in the beginning is then lost, and new ideas must be looked for to unite the past idea of the building with present requirements.

God created the universe, the world, the plants, animals, and minerals as a physical unit for man. Mankind who lives in it must become a part of it, not only as a physical being, but also with his mental am spiritual senses, in order to become completely united with it.

A person, a unit, exists of good habits and habits to overcome. He is not only himself, but also the product of all his ancestors. He is the unit of himself and those who have gone before him.

Be like a constantly used plug in the wall. Why? Compare the conduits and wires in the wall to your ancestors. They connect the plug via the transformer on the pole outside, to the electrical power station, the origin of electrical energy. Through you, the "plug", can the electrical energy flow to the electrical toaster. Of course you can be an unused plug in the wall or in reality an unused person in the world. But, used or unused, you still will be a unit through which your ideas and your ancestors can work.

Each of us is a product of the unity of our earthly parents. Through their active presence we became a new being. Through their teaching we experienced our childhood. Through their hard work, money was provided for our schooling. And now we are in this world as a complete physically and mentally matured person. But now we must act as such a person. We are now a unit by itself, a unity of God the Father in us and our physical person.

To be a unit like this is tremendously important. Because only in; constant connection with Him, to be in a constant unity with Him, we can experience a higher relation, and do greater work.

In the time of the horse-drawn carriage it was impossible to send a telegram. Those people never had heard about it, Now in our time we can't send a letter anymore by carriage as in the old times. Through the years it has been changed to car, train and airplane. How did this happen? Through new advances, new things came into existence. After being accepted by the people they became united with their lives.

The first bicycles were uncomfortable, strange vehicles. Now they are a part of human life in Holland. They are united with those people. Here in the USA it is the car that is a part of the American, that moves him and brings him there where he wants to be. The car unites for him the parts of his life: work, home, and recreation.

Traveling by plane is such a great experience. You go to the airport, buy your ticket, wait a while in a queue of people -- enter the plane -- and then fly up in the air to your next destination: a city, another country, or a new continent. What does flying do in this way? It unites the different parts of the world to a greater unit, time-wise.

The trip I took from Indonesia to Holland by boat lasted more than 21 days. I remember well the time when I was a boy of 13 and had to leave that tropical country. Day by day I moved farther from my parents who stayed there. The distance became greater every day. But later when I was able to visit them by plane, which made the trip shorter than 48 hours, the two countries became so much closer together -- much more united in distance.

What makes the USA so great? Is it not her unity? To the outside world she acts as one big country. But in herself she unites 50 states together. There is unity in a human body among the heart, lungs, stomach, mind, and other parts of our physical being. If one part is not working correctly, the unity is then distorted, and the other parts have to work harder to get correction.

There is unity in materials around us. Cohesion unites the parts of a material with the same essence. Adhesion unites different materials to a new one.

What are we doing with all those units around us? Do we leave them as they are and use them as they are? Or can we bring them to a higher level? Two small companies are each by themselves a complete unit. Together they can become stronger through the wider field of experience. The more a unit expands, the more the greatness of God, who is a unit in himself, can be experienced.

How difficult must it have been for our Leader to get his first followers. We are here together and experience a unity together. But to be alone like he was in the whole wide world, must have felt like a human lung lying on the street without its body, or a human heart on the sidewalk separated from its surrounding.

What a great joy he must have experienced when he found his first follower who accepted him and understood his teachings. God separated from mankind and his creation became united with them, for the first time in history, became one with them, now a little over seven years ago.

For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth Him all things that Himself doeth; and He will show Him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.
(John 5 :20)