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Paris Talks
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Pages 41-43
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GOD'S GREATEST GIFT TO MAN
Thursday, October 26th
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1 |
God's greatest gift to man is that of intellect, or
understanding.
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The understanding is the power by which man
acquires his knowledge of the several kingdoms of
creation, and of various stages of existence, as well as
of much which is invisible.
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Possessing this gift, he is, in himself, the sum of
earlier creations--he is able to get into touch with those
kingdoms; and by this gift, he can frequently, through
his scientific knowledge, reach out with prophetic
vision.
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Intellect is, in truth, the most precious gift bestowed
upon man by the Divine Bounty. Man alone, among
created beings, has this wonderful power.
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All creation, preceding Man, is bound by the stern
law of nature. The great sun, the multitudes of stars,
the oceans and seas, the mountains, the rivers, the
trees, and all animals, great or small--none is able to
evade obedience to nature's law.
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Man alone has freedom, and, by his understanding
or intellect, has been able to gain control of and adapt
some of those natural laws to his own needs. By the
power of his intellect he has discovered means by which
he not only traverses great continents in express trains
and crosses vast oceans in ships, but, like the fish
he travels under water in submarines, and, imitating the
birds, he flies through the air in airships.
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Man has succeeded in using electricity in several
ways--for light, for motive power, for sending
messages from one end of the earth to the other--and
by electricity he can even hear a voice many miles
away!
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By this gift of understanding or intellect he has also
been able to use the rays of the sun to picture people
and things, and even to capture the form of distant
heavenly bodies.
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We perceive in what numerous ways man has been
able to bend the powers of nature to his will.
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10 |
How grievous it is to see how man has used his God-given
gift to frame instruments of war, for breaking
the Commandment of God `Thou shalt not kill', and
for defying Christ's injunction to `Love one another'.
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11 |
God gave this power to man that it might be used
for the advancement of civilization, for the good of
humanity, to increase love and concord and peace.
But man prefers to use this gift to destroy instead of
to build, for injustice and oppression, for hatred and
discord and devastation, for the destruction of his
fellow-creatures, whom Christ has commanded that
he should love as himself!
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12 |
I hope that you will use your understanding to promote
the unity and tranquillity of mankind, to give
enlightenment and civilization to the people, to produce
love in all around you, and to bring about the
universal peace.
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13 |
Study the sciences, acquire more and more knowledge.
Assuredly one may learn to the end of one's
life! Use your knowledge always for the benefit of
others; so may war cease on the face of this beautiful
earth, and a glorious edifice of peace and concord be
raised. Strive that your high ideals may be realized
in the Kingdom of God on earth, as they will be in
Heaven.
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