Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/7597

7597 Living faith.... Awakening of life....

May 8, 1960: Book 80

Awakening into true life begins when the human being makes conscious contact with God, when he acknowledges a Being above himself.... when he thus believes in this Being and tries to join Him, that is, when he feels a relationship between the higher Being and himself and would like to continue this relationship. In that case the spiritual spark in him has already come alive and is trying to influence him from within to strive towards the eternal Father-Spirit. The spark of love has already ignited itself, thus he will always feel inwardly urged to do deeds of love, although at first they will only consist of being kind towards his fellow human beings.... But love will always be recognisable or the life in him would be unable to arise. And now this life is making itself noticeable, it is effectively a second life within himself, independent from his actual physical life which every human being experiences even if the spiritual spark in him is still dormant and he is thus spiritually dead. But only this second life gives the human being real satisfaction, for then he will be associating with God through directing his thoughts towards Him and through prayer.... And this person will not forget his God either, because God Himself will hold on to him and prevent the person from succumbing to death once more....

Nevertheless, a distinction has to be made between the intellectual knowledge of Him and the living awareness of a higher Being, for anything taught can be forgotten again, it can be rejected at a later time; it has not yet brought the soul to life.... The latter knowledge, however, can lead to a living faith if the human being is of good will.... And then he will never lose the life again once it has come awake in him. And it can arise from the moment the human being is able to think. For as soon as he is willing to love his thinking will be guided correctly, and then he will seek the bond with God, with a Being to Whom he can give himself with confidence. For the human being feels his own inadequacy, he feels that he needs a Guide and Protector because he is aware of his weakness.... And therefore he looks for the Being from Which he expects help in every situation of life.... It happens unconsciously at first but it makes him very happy if he can believe in such a Being and has entered into contact with Him. This is the plain and simple faith which can be gained by every child but which is alive in him and not the result of teachings, which the child can certainly accept but which do not bestow the inner conviction upon him. For this conviction involves the child's willingness to love which brings the spiritual spark within itself to life. And everything else will then be induced by this spiritual spark, which time and again will stimulate the person's longing for the eternal Father-Spirit until the person quite consciously establishes the bond through heartfelt prayer which then, however, will absolutely guarantee the Father's care of the child and will never again let it descend into spiritual blindness, into death.

This is why the passing on of religious doctrines is not sufficient; although they will not be rejected they won't necessarily bestow 'life'. Only love manages to attain true life, and this alone motivates the children to think about the religious doctrines and look for the Father, Who will also let Himself be found.... And then the spiritual spark within the person will constantly urge him towards the Father-Spirit. He will feel inwardly pushed to bond with Him; he will feel inwardly pushed into kind-hearted activity and prayer. And both will initiate the unification with Him, which is the purpose and goal of earthly life.... both will awaken the human being into eternal life, into a life he cannot lose anymore because it is the spiritual life which has nothing in common with earthly life. And then the human being will have found his God, the child will have found the Father and surrendered itself to Him forever.... And from now on the human being cannot die again; he will live eternally....

Amen

Translated by Heidi Hanna