Behold! What Manner of Love

“BEHOLD! what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us.” Suddenly the light of revelation breaks through the clouds of human belief. The “BEHOLD,” as we see it here, is a command to look upon something. There is no element of trying to change or make, or shape things into a new and different pattern. There is no calling forth of the human powers or capacities to argue or to think something into a new light or place. The command is “BEHOLD.” “BEHOLD.” Look upon, recognize, see, and perceive something that actually exists. “BEHOLD” – something that is already in existence and does not have to be coaxed into the picture by thought. As a man in a dark room, feeling his way about, suddenly touches the electric switch. He does not alter anything in the room; he does not make anything; he does not add anything nor take anything away, yet suddenly everything is changed. “In the twinkling of an eye” everything has been changed for him, and yet nothing has been changed. The things which acted as ugly stumbling-blocks in the darkness of the room are found to be most useful and beautiful. Everything is in harmony, which before seemed to be naught but evil to his darkened vision. This command

“BEHOLD” is somewhat the same idea. It is the capacity to “look again” referred to by the Prophet when the appearances seemed to be so fearful to the servant. It is the capacity of revelation, instant and glorious. Coming into alignment with the idea back of the command “BEHOLD” causes one to become aware of that which eternally has been, and which has been veiled from the eyes because of the human belief; because of the thick veils put before the eyes by accepting the human reasoning and appearances as real and true. “BEHOLD” is an insistent command. No one can do it for you. You cannot see it through the eyes of another. You can only suppose that it is so, but you will have to come up and up and up, to the point where you can stand at the level of the “BEHOLD.” It is something that transcends the thought process of trying to make it happen, and easily slips into the swiftly moving stream of life and recognition. HERE and NOW it all IS, and yet here and now nothing but discord seems to exist, to the human senses. “BEHOLD” – look upon it. It is not a call to you for help, nor yet for cooperation or assistance. It is a direct invitation to “Look again,” and see that whereas the fields had hardly been planted, they are now “WHITE,” and the laborers are few. There are few who will take to the high road of “BEHOLD,” because they stop to salute too many men along the way, and exchange too many opinions. They will find plenty of confirmation of any doubt they may have, and plenty of so-called “help” which will be but a temporary salve rubbed on the outside, which will perhaps ameliorate for a moment the torturing disease within, but which can never cure it.

“BEHOLD” – it is something that is done alone, and at a moment you think not. It is brought about by the contemplation of a possibility. The RECOGNITION of the God-universe in counter-distinction to the changing, chaotic thing created by man. The mind that has made this Recognition is then at the “watch.” Not a conscious watching, and looking for signs and wonders, but unconsciously it has Recognized and accepted The Presence, and is “waiting on the Lord,” regardless of what has seemed to take place in the world of things. It is the mind that is “standing in the innermost sanctuary,” unmoved, unafraid, and calm. “In a moment ye think not,” “I” come into expression.

After you have accepted the fact that there is an OMNI-PRESENCE, then the eyes that were “holden” are freed, and they “BEHOLD.” They “BEHOLD” the glory of the only begotten of the Father. It is Wonderful! It is the gift of every man and not a limited few. It is not brought about by years of study. It is given freely to the consciousness that can become as a little child and BELIEVE that GOD IS.

The old ideas are fast falling away. Veils are being rent ant the eyes are beginning to “BEHOLD.” Whenever anyone has come to the place of “BEHOLD” he has manifested that which has been called a miracle; yet in reality he has only glimpsed that which has eternally existed. No law of God was set into motion especially for him. The Law was, and is, eternally in operation. What he did was to get into alignment with it, and it functioned as it eternally has functioned into perfection. To the limited human concept it seemed that something happened in the nature of a special dispensation, but it was merely the natural action of the Law of God. The one who is out of step with the regiment may yet be walking in time to the music he hears, but he will constantly feel the discord of the great rhythmic beat, to which he does not belong, and yet to which he is so strangely attached. He moves forward, but always at cross purposes. Let him “behold,” as it were, the rhythm, and he immediately falls into the swing of it, and is carried on by it, and enjoys the strength of the great volume of it moving forward. It is something like that with man and God. All the difficulties are from the action of man, independent of God. Finally man is defeated, and drops out.

“BEHOLD! what manner of Love!” You are not going to create it, nor make it. You are not going to help it be born. You are going to “BEHOLD what MANNER of LOVE.” It is Wonderful!

When a man comes to the Grand Canyon in Arizona for the first time, he stands silent, and almost breathless; he finds no words; he actually has no thoughts sufficiently large with which to express the beauty of it all; he is then in the state of “BEHOLD.” He is perceiving things as they are, and not as he is going to make them, nor yet as he may imagine them. They are as they are, and they are so far above anything he has ever thought or imagined that he can only look and “BEHOLD.”

When you “BEHOLD” that the Presence is HERE and NOW, the same thing takes place in you. Whereas before you perceived sickness, you see the impossibility of the manifestation of God to be sick. You “Behold” something that transcends health and which goes on into the radiant thing called “LIFE” – life unmarred or untouched by the human thought and its dreams of yesterday. All the petty thoughts that you have held about making God do your bidding, by telling Him what to do, drop by the way, in this new light of revelation, and you “BEHOLD.” You “BEHOLD” that which is, and the world will say, if you have been desperately ill. “He had a wonderful demonstration”; and so it is, to the human sense. I have no quarrel with this language. The Power that has come into manifestation in you in a demonstration, does not suddenly cease; it is continuous and eternal, and so is the outflowing of substance. Many people make what is known as a financial demonstration, only to presently lapse again into a worse state of poverty. That is because they have “Beheld” only the manifestation, and not the Power back of it. They have grasped at the shadow, and let go of the substance, and they have nothing but the memory of it all. It is Wonderful!

“BEHOLD! what manner of Love.” Do you hear the command? It is made to you – yes, to you who have been trying so long to make God change some ugly or undesirable condition or thing in your life. “BEHOLD [gaze upon, recognize] what manner of Love.” Even as the man, filled with wonder at the beauty of the Canyon, stands speechless at the magnificence of it all, which so far

transcends any expectations that he had, so you are invited to “BEHOLD” the manner of Love, which has been bestowed upon you, and which likewise so far transcends anything you have ever planned, or thought about, or imagined. “My ways are not your ways”; no matter how high and mighty your ways might have been, no matter if you are recognized as the most advanced person in your line – even then, “My ways are not your ways.”

The manner of Love that is referred to is not the manner of Love that you have imagined as due to you for your good works or words. It is something that “eye hath not seen nor ear heard,” and something that has not entered into the heart of any man – it is the “Glory” that God has prepared for those who LOVE HIM. And those who LOVE HIM are those who are beginning to acknowledge HIM as HERE NOW, and who have ceased from the foolishness of trying to make God do as they say; and from the vain imagining that He is moved by words to carry out their ideas and plans. It is Wonderful!

“BEHOLD! what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us.” Do you hear? Do you see? It says that it has already been “BESTOWED” upon us. It is not something we have to win, or earn or beg for, or demonstrate. It is something that has already been “BESTOWED” upon us; already been given to you – yes, you. Aren’t you glad? Can you be still and “BEHOLD,” deep in the soul of you, this glory, as of the ONLY begotten of the Father, filled with Grace and Peace? Yes, even though the waves of human emotion and belief are tossing your craft about like an egg-shell in a tempest. It is Wonderful! It has already been BESTOWED upon you, and no man can take that heritage from you without your consent.

You may have sold this precious birthright for the mess of pottage of human belief in systems and methods of making God do wonders, but the moment you awaken from this sleep you will arise, and “BEHOLD, I make all things NEW” – make them NEW to the deadened senses which have been so long hypnotized by human reasoning and beliefs. The temple is cleansed of the money-changers, and the hecklers, and augurs, and the place is filled with the LIGHT of the one who is “BEHOLDING” what manner of Love. It is enough to make you speechless and breathless with wonder. It so far exceeds the expectations and the wildest dreams. It is so marvelous – the Manner and Nature of this LOVE which is already “BESTOWED” upon you. Yes, you.

The Manner of Love – the radiance of it – the fondest dream fulfilled and made possible – the glorious Revelation of the new dimension. “Behold, I make all things NEW” – the Heaven descending out of the clouds, and transforming, and yet at the same time only revealing that which has eternally been. The Heaven which Jesus said was within – a state of consciousness – suddenly descending on to the earth, or becoming manifest. The “Word becomes flesh.” Invisible glory concreted into the flesh, so heaven and earth are one, and the double standard or idea of life is swept away in the light that spreads over all. “BEHOLD! what MANNER of LOVE the Father hath bestowed upon us.” The NOW of it all comes into being. No matter how long you have worked, or prayed, or waited. The “NOW is the DAY” becomes a reality, and you are standing in the very same place which seemed so accursed, only to find it is hallowed ground.

“BEHOLD” – stand still, and see the salvation of this magic word become flesh. The Transformation of the world from Darkness into Light is only the Revelation of that which has always existed; and so the Revelation that takes place in you, and becomes flesh, is that which has eternally been flesh and which was only veiled from your eyes, because you accepted that as real which you perceived through the darkened glasses of the human belief. It is Wonderful! The darkened glasses being removed from your eyes, you perceive the world in its glorious color and beauty; yet nothing has happened to the world. So it is with the universe of God. Nothing is happening to the perfect universe, created and made by God – called good – and which is awaiting the moment when the Son will arise and go to the Fatherhood degree, and “BEHOLD what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us.” “Look again” in the confidence of the Presence, and you too will BEHOLD what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon you. The thing will speak for itself, and you will not have to broadcast it. The letting of the Light through into expression will give the Glory to God, and will cause all men to realize that this wonderful Revelation is something more than talk. It is Wonderful! Be still. “BEHOLD, I make all things new” – the eyes of the disciples are suddenly opened to the fact that they are breaking bread with the one they thought they saw crucified, dead, and buried. They had to “look again,” as it were, before they could see. The mist of human belief was thick before there eyes. The human testimony was strong, as it was in the case of Lazarus; yea, strong as it is in the case of you. But it is never strong enough to withstand the glorious inrush of Light and Revelation which takes place when you “BEHOLD! WHAT MANNER OF LOVE the FATHER HATH BESTOWED UPON US.”

No matter what the condition or belief, it will all melt away before this Recognition of the Presence. It is Wonderful!

Remember, it has ALREADY been BESTOWED upon you, no matter what the appearances are; no matter how many argue to the contrary. It has already been BESTOWED upon you, no matter who you are, or where you are. This priceless gift is yours NOW. It does not have to be won. It has to be accepted. Can one come to you, then, and say, “Yes, I know, but – ” and take from you this priceless gift? No; he can only blind you by words, but you are still in possession of the gift, and the moment you turn from “man whose breath is in his nostrils” you will “BEHOLD” the glory as of the only begotten of the Father. Do you see? Do you hear? Do you begin to feel the presence of this power, independent from every system, or sect, or creed, that was ever established? “In the twinkling of an eye” it shall all be changed. The moment you come to BEHOLD you will perceive it.

“BEHOLD WHAT MANNER.” It is so wonderful, so full, so beyond words and imagination, the MANNER of this Love. The hard fight for life, health, and success is over. All the glorious manifestation you have sought for years is wrapped up in the MANNER of LOVE which has already been BESTOWED upon you. It seems to be lying dormant until you awaken it, but in reality you are lying dormant, dreaming the most hideous nightmares of belief, until you awaken to the reality of your Divine Heritage, and “BEHOLD” the beauty and holiness of it all. It is Wonderful! Arise and shine; you are a being of light, in a universe of Light and you are filled with Light and Inspiration of the ALMIGHTY. It is Wonderful! The MANNER of LOVE that is yours – the measure of Love that is yours – the infinite and joyous expression that is yours, for You have been CALLED into expression as the Son of the Living God. The manifestation has been called forth into expression. It is Wonderful!

“BEHOLD, what MANNER of LOVE the Father HATH BESTOWED UPON us.” It is Wonderful! And So It is.

It is as if the door to a secret cave suddenly opened and revealed the hidden beauties of the earth – as if a searchlight were suddenly turned into a treasure cave filled with precious gems, hidden away in the dark. It is as if the walls of a dungeon suddenly fell away, and revealed the glory of a tropical landscape to the half-starved, half-frozen inmates. It is as if the shell that bound a full-grown bird suddenly broke away.

“BEHOLD! what manner of Love the Father hath BESTOWED upon us” – upon you and me – here and now. It is Wonderful!

Walter C. Lanyon