The Spiritist Review - Journal of Psychological Studies - 1862

Allan Kardec

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The Cross

A tall and simple cross stands amidst all human revolutions, uproars and reasoning, fixated on an altar of stones. A little child sculpted in the stone holds a little flag in his hand where it reads: Simplicity. Philanthropists, philosophers, deists and poets, come to read and contemplate that word. It contains the whole Gospel, the full explanation of Christianity.

Philanthropists, you must not invent philanthropy since there is only charity. Philosophers, you must not invent wisdom since there is only one. Deists, you must not invent God since there is only one. Poets, you must not disturb the human heart.

Philanthropists, you want to break the chains that hold humanity captive; philosophers, you erect Pantheons; poets, you romanticize fanaticism. Back up! You are from this world and Jesus said: “My kingdom is not from this world.”

Oh! You belong too much to this muddy world to understand those sublime words. And if a sufficiently powerful judge asked you: Are you the Son of God? Your answer would fade in your throat and you would not be able to respond as Christ did before humanity: “You said that.”

You are all gods, said Jesus, when the tongue of fire descends upon your heads and penetrates your hearts; you are all gods when you live in the name of charity on Earth, but you are the children of the world when you see the current suffering of humanity and do not consider its divine future.

Mankind! May that word be read by your heart and not by your material eyes! Christ did not erect a Pantheon. He erected a cross!

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