Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/3538

3538 Dead matter.... activity.... life....

September 6, 1945: Book 45

The change that takes place in seemingly dead matter is imperceptible, and that is why man cannot detect any life in it. But in long periods of time even this matter takes on a different form, because every activity, even the most minimal, brings about a reshaping or transformation of matter and activity is life. The process of transformation, if it is not carried out by human hands, is often of very long duration in works of creation over which human will has little influence, i.e. in creations of nature, because it will take place according to divine will. God knows about the resistance of the spiritual bound in matter, and depending on its will for activity the rigid lifelessness decreases; activity starts according to God's will, and matter changes, even if in a hardly noticeable way. And there is nothing in earthly creation that does not show this slow transformation, even though the human eye does not see it because it happens extremely slowly. Yet everything in creation on earth is in slow upward development, subject to the law of compulsion.... Consequently, nothing remains in the same form but changes, partly slowly, partly quickly, depending on the resistance which the spiritual opposes God in the works of creation. And thus there is nothing dead on earth, i.e. lifeless in itself, but everything harbours life, for the spiritual substance, even in hardest matter, has the urge for activity and it only depends on its will whether it can carry out this activity, in contrast to the state of death in the beyond where the spiritual substance lacks all strength for activity, where it remains completely inactive but is nevertheless aware of its existence. This is why the state of bound will in matter is still preferable to the state of death in the beyond, because it once improves, albeit after an infinitely long time, because the spiritual being in matter has the urge for freedom and only needs to direct its will in the right direction, whereas the being's will in the beyond is completely weakened and therefore it no longer uses it.... It remains completely without will in a dead state and sinks ever more into the abyss until it is used as a cold mass, as a cover of the spiritual substance, as matter itself, which is now dependent on the will of the spiritual substance sheltering in it for how long matter exists unchanged. For a distinction must be made between the spiritual, which is bound in matter, and matter itself, which is likewise spiritual, yet much more God-opposing. Hard matter in itself could therefore be called dead, yet the spiritual substance within it gives it life, so that the process of dissolution will one day begin for it too and thus also the beginning of the upward development in a new epoch of redemption. The spiritual in matter can escape from it as soon as it is destroyed and continue its development in a new form which is less hard, but matter itself is not yet dissolved and is again enlivened by spiritual in corresponding will to resist, so that matter often grants endless times to such spiritual stay before it can dissolve itself. The state of death is so agonizing that it signifies the deepest hell, and the powers of the underworld are only satisfied once they have brought the soul into this state, because it signifies utmost distance from God, thus withdrawal of all strength from God. But God also has mercy on this spiritual being and gives it the opportunity to redeem itself again from the dead state. But eternities pass before this process of redemption begins, which again requires infinite times before it is finished....

Amen

Translated by Doris Boekers