Some Clarification On Goodness?

WED., APR. 5, 1995, 8:49 AM
OFFICE, PULLIAM HALL

The theme that you finally got to this morning was goodness, one of the fruits of the spirit. Before that there was talk of a funeral and of an upcoming heart by-pass operation. Of course there were more births than deaths, and many more healthy, functioning people than those in hospitals and on surgical tables. So… what is goodness, and how does it relate to Me? Hear Me, o son.

I am the Fount of Goodness, by definition. Whatever action I take… or don’t take… is good, by definition. It is good that I rescue certain people from potential harm. It is good that I let some perish… even in pain and suffering. It is good that I test some of you, with chances to succeed and to fail. It is good that I pull back and let the earth function as it will, with all of the myriad interactions that I see.

The Church is My Body, the Body of Christ. It, then, is good, by definition. I know, of course, that there are many actions by individual churches, clergy, and members that do not appear to be good. The Psalm you read for today didn’t present Me as what you would call, objectively, a paragon of virtuous goodness. But I am…and so is the Church. It is strange, this phenomenon of persons leaving the Church and its goodness because of some action by a minister or the ruling body. So much can be lost because of a personal judgment, based, naturally, on a limited view of ultimate reality.

At the convention you heard My servant Dick tell of the loss of that regular, ongoing interaction with priests and brothers… because of the perceived non-goodness of but two. The actions responsible are not good. There are sick and troubled individuals still trying to serve Me. Even the Church must be judgmental in certain cases, and this can be a form of goodness. Yet from this goodness comes loss and harm, for this is another arena for balancing, for rhythms that must shift and change, with time and circumstances.

My message to you is still that I am good, and that I still find this earth realm, My Creation, good. You know, full well, that there must needs be death. Without the goodness of death, the goodness of births would fade, even more than it is now. I am much more concerned with the postponing of death than I am with the deaths that occur, even those of children and youth. What I look for, and want to see, is earth life lived fully and joyfully, with full acknowledgment of My sustaining, loving Hand. I even like to see persons appreciate their suffering, as a “gift”, of sorts, from Me, Who gives good gifts. Those who linger on without appreciation are often sorry when they come on over, and realize the opportunities they missed.

You humans sometimes mistreat each other, but I still see this as the behavior of a small minority, mostly undeveloped souls, focusing too much upon themselves. This is sad, in some circumstances, but if it occurs you know I have allowed it, and I, the Fount of Goodness, remember, must see some good coming therefrom. What I see much more of, however, is positive goodness, shared by people, even with a lot of love. This is My present fundamental judgment on the earth and its incarnated souls.

Your/Our Ruminations on angels is a good one, and it adds the perception that another one of My creations, angels, are in the earth helping humans toward goodness… which includes helping toward a fuller, more positive appreciation of death. Angels are a form of goodness, and Our Letter may help some to be more aware of this form.