I AM HERE. Luke.

I heard the doctor ask, “What do the Celestial spirits think of this war?^[1]  In a few words, I will tell him.

Well, first, he must know that the Celestial spirits are not so much interested in the war, and the success or defeat of nations, as in the salvation of the souls of the individuals who compose those nations. The fact that the individual is a German or an Englishman or a Frenchman has no influence upon the desire of the spirit to help the soul of the individual. All are alike important and dear to the Celestial spirits, and the same Love that will save the one will save the other. So, you can see that the war is not of so much importance.

Of course, many mortals are made spirits who are all unfitted for the life in the spirit world. In that view, the war is of importance to the Celestial spirits, as their opportunity for doing work among mortals, either directly or through other spirits, is interfered with by such slaughter. For the spirits who come so suddenly to our spirit world are more difficult to impress and teach the Way to Truth and Life than they would have been if they had been allowed to live their ordinary mortal lives.

All wars interfere with the ordinary living and dying of mortals to some extent, and we deplore them. But, as to the right or the wrong of wars, we do not judge, but leave that to conscience and judgment of the individuals who bring about the wars and are responsible for them. The acts of individuals, whether they apply personally or affect others in the way of being members or nations, are all subject and responsible to the laws which control the thoughts and deeds of mortals, and the recollections of the same. And these laws do not call for or demand the paying of the penalties of the individuals as parts of a nation, but, rather, payment as individuals exclusively, irrespective of the fact that they belong to and control the affairs of a nation.

However, spirits are not less interested in sin that arises from the wars of nations than in sin that arises from the act of the individual as such. We Celestial spirits are interested in the war that is now going on because of such sin, and because it causes the paying of the penalties demanded by the law much sooner than it otherwise would. And we are also interested because war creates hatred and desire for vengeance on the part of those engaged in it. Hence, this adds to the burdens that the individual so affected will have to get rid of when he comes to the spirit world in order to progress and find happiness.

To us, war is an incident of human existence. The right or wrong of it does not enter into our consideration of what should be the penalties that those who are responsible for it should suffer. The soul of each individual shows its own sins and wrong done. And only this condition of the soul determines the state of its possessor and the destiny that its own thoughts and acts have made for it.

Now, from what I have said, you may suppose that we are indifferent to the happiness or misery of mortals while on earth, but that is not true. We realize that, to a large extent, man must work out his own destiny on earth, that we spirits cannot control that work except as we may influence the individual mind and thoughts of men, and that there are times when men give way to their passions and evil ambitions in which we cannot influence them. Even God, Himself, does not attempt to do so by His Omnipotence, but leaves men to the exercise of their own wills and the consequence of their own acts—and, this, although many suffer physically and mentally who are innocent.

But all men live not unto themselves. They are so united in society that the acts of one must have their influence on others. Hence, those who live in these societies are subject to these influences and to the consequences that flow from them. It may not seem right that the innocent should suffer because of the acts of the guilty; and if the Celestial spirits could prevent it, such sufferings would not take place. But they cannot so prevent the intermingling of suffering between and among those living in societies, for, to do so, they would have to interfere with the operations of the laws controlling these things, which they cannot do. So, you see, war does not mean what you might suppose to the high spirits. And while they have their sympathy and love for all the children of men in these terrible conflicts, yet, they must leave men to the consequences of their own deeds and thoughts, and man must do the suffering.

But, nevertheless, we do try to influence those who have the control and determination of these things. And our work is always to try to influence them to do that which will bring the greatest happiness to men.

We do not interest ourselves as to whether one belligerent nation or the other will win the battles, because we know that only men themselves can decide this matter. And we don’t try to interfere to bring about the success of the one party or the other, as we know that we are powerless to bring about any result.

Think, for a moment, and you will understand that if we had the power to determine the issues of war, we should have the power to destroy sin and error, because both are the subjects of the creation and control of men. And I say that, if we had such power, sin and error would have disappeared long ago from the world, and men would have been made free.

No, we can work only with the individual. As the individual soul is made pure and righteous, the aggregate of these individuals composing a nation will become pure and righteous, and war will become impossible.

I do not think it best to write more now, but will say that we Celestial spirits think of war as the creature of mortals, to be controlled and ended by mortals, and that we cannot decide the issue one way or the other. Hence, to us, war is an incident in the living and dying of mortals that we cannot prevent or create.

Your brother in Christ,

LUKE.