THE
HOUR OF GOD
There
are moments when the Spirit moves among men and the breath of the Lord is
abroad upon the waters of our being; there are others when it retires and men
are left to act in the strength or the weakness of their own egoism. The first
are periods when even a little effort produces great results and changes
destiny; the second are spaces of time when much labour
goes to the making of a little result. It is true that the latter may prepare
the former, may be the little smoke of sacrifice going up to heaven which calls
down the rain of God’s bounty.
Unhappy
is the man or the nation which, when the divine moment arrives, is found
sleeping or unprepared to use it, because the lamp has not been kept trimmed
for the welcome and the ears are sealed to the call. But thrice woe to them who
are strong and ready, yet waste the force or misuse the moment; for them is
irreparable loss or a great destruction.
In
the hour of God cleanse thy soul of all self-deceit and hypocrisy and vain self-flattering
that thou mayst look straight into thy spirit and
hear that which summons it. All insincerity of nature, once thy defence against the eye of the Master and the light of the
ideal, becomes now a gap in thy armour and invites the
blow. Even if thou conquer for the moment, it is worse for thee, for the blow
shall come afterwards and cast thee down in the midst of thy triumph. But being
pure cast aside all fear; for the hour is often terrible, a fire and a whirlwind
and a tempest, a treading of the winepress of the wrath of God; but he who can
stand up in it on the truth of his purpose is he who shall stand; even though
he fall, he shall rise again; even though he seem to pass on the wings of the wind,
he shall return. Nor let worldly prudence whisper too closely in thy ear; for
it is the hour of the unexpected.
–SRI AUROBINDO