TRUTH AND PEACE

Roger Williams walked through a blinding snowstorm from Boston to Rhode Island in January 1636.  During that journey his vision of a new State took shape within him.

He writes, “We must build a democracy on Hope, and Hope is when Truth and Peace come together.

“Truth is not right and right is not Truth.  To find Truth you must strip away all thoughts and perceptions, all you know or think you know, all you see or think you see, all you feel or think you feel, etc.  Brace yourself against the flood of all doubts and false gods.  Finally, you will be alone with your conscience.  In those dark corridors, you will find a speck of light, hold on to it, protect it, and explore it.  It is the ‘Great I Am’s unique gift to you, unlike any other’s gift.  It is the Word.  It is Truth.  It is the ‘Great I Am’ within you.

“Peace is not the absence of conflict or war.  To find Peace you must listen, and listen, and listen to every word other people say.  Listen until you know them.  Listen until you understand them.  Listen until your heart opens and takes in the Truth made known to them.  Then add that gift, as a building block, to your soul.  Embrace them, love them.  Love them as you love yourself.  In that act, you will find Peace with that one, and the next one, and the next one, and the next one, until you find the Peace of the ‘Great I Am’s Love-light.

“Only we can bring Truth and Peace together, but when we do, Hope shall spring eternal.

“Hope shall unite us all as one, and when we are united with each other and all things we will discover Freedom of Conscience.

“Freedom of conscience must be all-inclusive: beyond our mind, our soul, and our religious practice.

“Everyone should have true liberty (freedom) of conscience.  No civil authority has any power over a person’s conscience.  No religious institution or its’ representatives have any power over a person’s conscience (not even in matters of heresy against doctrine and dogma).  Only the Father of Love-light has power over a person’s conscience.  He will send his angels to correct any blind or erroneous conscience.  Thus, conscience will be self-correcting.  (Matthew 13:37-41)

“To fulfill freedom of conscience everyone must learn to listen to each other, listening so intently that you can repeat exactly what they said.  Listen first for the similarities between your conscience and theirs.  That is your common ground.  Then listen and learn from the differences.  The differences make for an interesting and enjoyable friendship.

“It is important to keep talking and loving each other.  Sir John Winthrop and I were on the opposite side of many issues, but we never stopped talking with one another.  Thus, a deep understanding developed between us, which only comes from two souls searching their conscience together.

 “To accomplish this freedom of conscience, you must also develop tolerance.  Tolerance is having an open mind and open heart.  There is no right or wrong.

“Light a candle.  Don’t fear the darkness.  Walk into it carrying your candle and the darkness will turn to light.  The darkness has no power over you and your light.  So be tolerant to everyone, everywhere, all the time!”

Listen to the Love-light.  It will liberate you.  In 1776 these words inspired Thomas Jefferson.