The centre of commercial activity for the whole world is the city of London. In its very heart is an open space, bounded on one side by the Royal Exchange, a massive pile of architecture. To the left is the Bank of England, filling a whole block, a gloomy stone structure without a single window to break the monotony of its outlines. On the right is Lombard Street with its banks which represent the greatest monied interests of the world. Facing the Royal Exchange is the Mansion House, the residence of the Lord Mayor for his year of office.
In the open space the throngs of people are incessant, and the traffic unceasing, for seven important thoroughfares pour in their streams. Every one is hurrying along intent on his own concerns, unheeding others.
Across the front of the Royal Exchange, under the facade, in bold letters cut into the stone, plainly to be read at a distance, are the words "The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof."
Such words in such a place! To the thoughtful person they appear as a warning, a portent, to remind the over-busy man that strive as he may to gain possessions, he but courts failure, for the earth and its fullness belong to the Lord.
What a diversity of interpretations would be given to these words by those who daily pass and repass them. Who is the Lord who claims ownership of the Earth? The Governor of the Bank of England, if interrogated, would, from a Christian standpoint, give an "orthodox" rendering; but call at the Rothschilds' office, across the street, and another interpretation would be given. Passing to the Sassoons' sanctum, the East Indian's deity might be presented. And so on and on, until you might doubt the very existence of a Lord: more especially if Queen Victoria should graciously inform you that Great Britain claims dominion over the seas, and over a third part of the earth.
What then belongs to the Lord? It looks as if man had gobbled up the earth and its fullness.
A stock-broker, hurrying along in front of the Royal Exchange, was asked this question, and he replied testily: "Oh, you are trying to mix up religion and business, and it won't do," and he passed on.
In the days of ancient Rome's greatest magnificence, returning conquerors were awarded the proudest of all honors, a triumphal procession. It paraded with all its gorgeous splendor and rows of captives along the Via Sacra, through the Forum to the Capitol. Alongside the conqueror in his chariot rode a man repeating aloud the words Memento necri, to remind the conqueror that he still was mortal. Was it by coincidence that these words of warning were chiselled into the stone of the Royal Exchange?
When we ponder, it is seen how generation after generation has appeared upon the scene of this world, and for a brief period has claimed possession of parts of the earth, but all have passed away, taking nothing with them.
"The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof," is a very comprehensive statement. It seems to include not merely the surface of the earth, but the whole of nature with its elements, earth, air, fire and water; also all natural powers and forces, materials and opportunities, in fact everything supplied by nature. All of these are said to belong to the Lord. Who is this mighty owner, the Lord? There is a teaching, which seems to have been well known to all nations of antiquity, that at first the world was a vast unity, one great Being. As evolution proceeded, the One became many, by emanating parts of itself, and so sub-dividing. The First Cause, the great force and energy of nature sub-divided into innumerable smaller centres of force or souls. These lesser souls, all parts of the one Being, have since been proceeding with their separate evolution according to law. Some souls are now occupying the forms of the mineral kingdom; others have reached vegetables and plants; others are ensouling animals; and the more advanced have entered human beings.
All natural objects are but the outer expressions in physical matter of the souls which are within them, and these souls are integral parts of the One Great Being, who is the Lord. The souls in the lower kingdoms are working upward to the human state, and in some far distant cycle will enter human forms. Perfected humanity is the flower of evolution, the highest point attainable in this world. The One Great Being, the Lord, the Universal Soul of the world, operates through man to raise all parts of Nature to a higher state. Hence it is that man is given dominion over the lower kingdoms. But responsibility always accompanies power, therefore man should comprehend and rightly perform his duty of helping the less progressed.
Since the earth belongs to the Lord, what is man's relation to it?
The ancient teaching said that man is the soul, which emanates from, and is a part of, the One Great Being, the Lord, and his soul, like all others, assumes a form periodically, endowing its body with the power of thinking and reasoning. This body during life uses various things, such as houses, clothes and the productions of nature. But do nature's products really belong to these bodies? Clearly not, for fire, shipwreck or other disaster may remove them, and at the death of the body all are relinquished. Man has but a temporary use of the earth, of nature and of its powers and materials; he is but a steward or caretaker in charge of them for a time, for truly the Lord is the real and only permanent possessor.
In the position of steward, man's duty is to make a right use of nature and her products, not by appropriating them to himself and preventing his fellow beings from sharing in their enjoyment, but by using them for the general welfare.
There is a law at the very heart of nature which is man's best guide as to duty, the law of mutual helpfulness or cooperation. Its basis is in the fact that all souls are parts of the One Great Being, the Lord; and therefore all are brother souls, bound together by the bonds of love and a desire to help each other.
How clearly nature exemplifies this law! For a tiny seed to produce a plant, the help of all the elements is necessary, the soil and water, the air and sunshine; if one of the elements fails to help, no plant can be perfected. Similarly all the organs of the body must cooperate by performing their functions for the preservation of health and vigor. The same holds good and is imperative among human beings if happiness is to be attained. Selfish appropriation of Nature's products which belong to the Lord, which is an infringement of the law of Brotherhood, is the cause of misery and suffering.
If man would recognize the soul as his real self, would allow the divinity of his nature to be his guide, instead of following selfish instincts, he would know and feel the inseparable link connecting him with all his fellows. The sympathy felt for suffering, the strong desire to help and relieve others less fortunate than ourselves, are the voice of the soul, the song of the great heart which beats in all.
"You cannot mix religion with business," said the stock-broker. It is true that there is a good deal of business which does not accord with the law of brotherhood, for it does not tend to the general welfare, but rather to personal ends.
Nature and her products which should be for the use of all, are monopolized to subserve the interests of the few. Although nature is bountiful in her gifts, producing more than sufficient for all, yet the majority of mankind are deprived of the necessities, let alone the comforts of life. Would we banish this suffering and misery, which are the disgrace of our civilization, we must introduce into business a knowledge and practice of the laws of nature, which teach helping and sharing.
"The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof'" stands engraved at the centre and heart of our commercial world, like the warning words which appeared to Belshazzar at the feast.
Will they be read in their true meaning, and practically applied, or will the history and downfall of Babylon be repeated?