Lessons From Marco Polo

THURS., MAY 20, 1982, 5:15 AM
FARM, STUDY

You must know by this time, o son, that I can and do bring spiritual lessons to you in many different, and contemporary, ways. This Sunday you will have discussion on A Lesson from Uncarved Block. What could be more appropriate… and surprising… than following this with Lessons from Marco Polo. For that long film did present a number of lessons… and I should like to affirm again that I am involved in your life now, wanting you to learn as much as possible from the world in which you are now incarnate.

One important lesson is that there are likenesses but also differences among My human creations who are in different cultures. There are ways in which people can relate to one another, despite their differences in world view, and, mainly, this is the work of spirit in bringing feelings of unity. The mind tells you of differences. The emotions have you feel differences (even in the expression of emotions). But the spirit seeks unity and at-onement. There were many illustrations of this, but one scene near the end was powerful. The Kublai extends his hand to Marco and says, “If you take the hand of a Mongol some of his spirit goes with you.” Though there was a strong sense of the uniqueness that Mongols only shared with each other, here was an offer from the mightiest of all to share his spirit.

I’ll repeat here My comment from yesterday, which originated in Marco’s willingness to be a friend even to the great ones before whom he should have just knelt in awe. Many Christians are unwilling to come to Me in friendship. They say they’d like to, but they just won’t or can’t. The other side was illustrated last evening… the Mighty One will reach out. Dare you take His hand and share His Spirit? What if the Great Khan were leading him into a trap… temping him to do the forbidden so that punishment could come? What if these teachings come from a clever “false” and “evil” spirit who is guiding you away from truth, from which punishment shall come? Can you take the risk? Isn’t it safer to hold back, particularly in spirit? When you take a risk with spirit there is much to be gained.

Yes, it is true, as was depicted, that there were many in the Church that was and is My Body who felt it more important to protect what little knowledge and understanding they had than to be open to new knowledge, particularly that concerning other manifestations of faith in Me. The two great leaders, the Kublai and the Pope, wanted to reach out and embrace those who came to Me differently, but many of those surbordinate had no such vision and felt the need to protect themselves by putting others down.

I am the Spirit of the One God. I have manifested Myself in many ways. Why should there be differences in look of face, color of skin, and size of body? Why should there be differences in language… that expresses so much of what a people are? Why should there be differences in customs, from ways of expressing love to ways of killing? There just are… and there should be. So also there are and should be different manifestations of Me.