18 HARPER

[ Setting: A private alcove by a high window in a library looking out on a courtyard. ]

HARPER:       Oh, it is so good to see again! As I got older my eyes betrayed me; thank goodness I lived in a time of cataract surgery. Nonetheless, after awhile I needed a magnifier, and in the end I used braille.

ALLEGENTIA:       You are now seeing with the ‘eyes’ of your soul but in your new body all of your physical senses will be returned to their full use.

HARPER:       That will be heavenly. This is a comfortable setting for a chat. I always loved libraries. I bet you knew that since you set this up. Of course, I’ve never seen an angel but you do look like one. Who would have expected to get an interview so soon after dying; but I guess it makes sense since questions would be abundant with the recently departed. And who better to answer them than an angel?

ALLEGENTIA:       This has been our experience. What was your interest in libraries?

HARPER:       My main interest was history; the older the library the better I liked it. Are there records in heaven of the time we humans have spent on Earth?

ALLEGENTIA:       Yes, there are. Long ago, before your planet had any human history, I helped keep track of events in our local system. You will be able to visit the libraries on the Progress Worlds, they are magnificent physical edifices with written and living records. There you will meet angels who are the living embodiment and custodians of these records. We not only account for the mundane facts of time but also the eternal truths as they are made manifest as we continue to grow collectively. And beyond that we use the stories of what has already occurred as a bridge to reveal advancing truth.

HARPER:       Wow! I can hardly wait to see such a place. Can you tell me a mundane fact from your long ago time as a librarian?

ALLEGENTIA:       Let me see, well I can tell you the first two humans, boy and girl twins, were born on your planet in the Spring 993,510 years ago from 2025.

HARPER:       I guess it would be important to earthlings when the first humans arrived but I am surprised at the pinpoint accuracy, and that this fact would be included in a celestial library.

ALLEGENTIA:       There are beings who spend billions of years terra-forming each planet with the sole purpose of the eventual rise of the human mind. The moment of success notes a well-deserved point of pride. The Recording Angels keep track of all the valuable happenings from individuals, tribes, races, nations, and entire planets. They record the physical facts and major occurrences which accurately portray the real history of planetary affairs. They also record moral and spiritual growth, how and when it manifests, and how it spreads. Each planet has an interesting and intriguing story; and you will enjoy comparing your history with other planets.
     Overall there were four great events which effected everyone on Earth – the Lucifer rebellion, the times of Adam and Eve, and the lives of Melchizedek and Jesus. You will find it very fascinating to know how each planet reacted to similar events.

HARPER:       It will be so exciting to have such wonderful resources. Can I get information about my life?

ALLEGENTIA:       If you are looking for a written record of everything you did and every thought you had, you will only find a record of what was qualitatively substantive. Although every person is important, not everyone who lived will have made a significant contribution to the emerging planetary or cosmic plan of ascension. Even so, every memory of value is held in fact in your soul and also by your Spirit Guide. Your guardian angels will be able to give you precise information of what you did; and your mind holds an accurate record of what, and how, you thought. We know how important this is. All things of value are preserved and nurtured.
     And you will be intrigued to meet the Reflective Angels who can read your personally acquired qualities.

HARPER:       Are you a Reflective Angel?

ALLEGENTIA:       No. It is easy for me to read your soul’s qualities, but Reflective Angels are a specialized type of angel you will encounter when it is time for options counseling. They can automatically and unerringly show you your actual moral and spiritual character in detail as it has developed up to its current status – who you really are. The Reflective Angels work closely with the Angelic Forecasters. Together you will get a very nice picture of your future alternatives.

HARPER:       That sounds like a good way to begin. There must be much more to learn. You said in your opening statement you would help us sort out our misunderstandings of what is real and what is not. I take it these special angels will be instrumental in this clarification.

ALLEGENTIA:       They will, and, of course, some things will be self-evident. For instance those who firmly believed there was nothing beyond the demise of their earthly body are already convinced this was a mistaken notion. But not all Reality is so easily cleared up.
     You found during your earth life your subjective (personal) reality was circumscribed and could be enlarged. Once you expanded your consciousness to know other people also had a valid subjective reality, you began to notice how their ideas were similar and how they were different from your own. Knowing there were ideas and values you held in common with other people, you could surmise the existence of a shared (collective) reality. From there it is not too much of a leap to consider the possibility of a larger reality able to encompass all of the individual realities from billions, even trillions, of souls – Objective Reality.
     Some believe their subjective reality is itself objective reality. And some even believe their subjective reality will somehow bend or shape Objective Reality. These notions are somewhat understandable since personal reality is designed to be personally real. This can give the short-sighted person the impression their unique reality is all there is.

HARPER:       I believe in God so I take it he is who you are calling THE “Objective Reality.”

ALLEGENTIA:       Precisely so; that is what I mean. I can see in your soul you not only believe in God but know a bit about him.

HARPER:       Thank you, I am pleased that is evident. I think all humans have experienced the subjective vs. objective conundrum you spoke of. Can I ask by what mechanism a person can recognize the true difference between subjective and objective reality?

ALLEGENTIA:       All of your basic needs are provided, and being able to recognize the difference between subjective and objective reality is certainly a fundamental need. Therefore, you are given a body and that body has many inborn abilities like mobility and its physical senses. Likewise you are provided with a brain/mind system. It is also equipped with intrinsic features. Deep at the base of the mental system is the gift to respond to objective reality: an automatic truth sense. This is enhanced and strengthened as it is used and trusted. Unfortunately it can also be dulled if it is ignored. Grace also provides you with access to spirit intuition and spiritual insights. When you touch these you experience some peaceful certainty. Above it all is your personality supervising and unifying all the bits of reality you are putting together.

HARPER:       Being an historian I know the systems we have invented are varied and diverse, but I also noticed a “symmetry of connectivity” – that’s what I named it in one of my books.

ALLEGENTIA:       That’s a good way of putting it. And now you know why you were able to recognize a bit of the universal pattern.
     The planet you just left is famous throughout this region of space for its many religions, philosophies, political systems, and imaginative thought. Those who look at this variability from the outside are amazed at your capacity to coordinate such competing complexity. We travel to many worlds to teach and we use this ability, which you take for granted, as an example of the wide range of what is intellectually and spiritually possible.

HARPER:       You teach these things on other planets and use us as an example?

ALLEGENTIA:       We do. Examples of how other peoples are progressing is often very instructive. Most planets are not like your Earth. There is, ordinarily, an orderly progression to life, both individually and planet-wide. Humans on every planet are in charge of their own progress. Angels do not interfere, but we can enhance and influence the minds and souls of people who are willingly moving in the right direction. Angels do not show themselves overtly on any young planet and only the more advanced spiritual inhabitants can see angels. But even on a primitive planet, such as Earth, there are sufficiently spiritually advanced men and women we can speak with. Thus there have been stories of angelic manifestations in your traditions. Therefore, when a person or a planet is ready, we (with permission) impart information and revelations they cannot come to know with their own logic or intuition.

HARPER:       I wish I had been able to tune into the angelic revelations.

ALLEGENTIA:       In a way you did. But as with all broadcasts you have to have your antenna up and be able to adjust to the right frequency. You had angels around you helping as much as they could during your life and they will be visible to you from now on. We have been, and will always be, your teachers and companions.

HARPER:       I’m sure that will make learning easier. So, how much of my learning will be logic and reasoning and how much do I have to accept on faith?

ALLEGENTIA:       Faith is a valuable tool. But what is it? You can think of faith as founded upon the firm ground of logic and the cool clarity of reasoning, but faith goes beyond both. Faith is not belief. Faith is fact. When you grasp real values, they are continuously confirmed as real. Some truth is easy pickings, if you are willing; they are supported from above and hang down like ripe fruit. But there is no limit to what you can discover using faith. With profound reflection, sincere self-realization, and uncompromising trust in the Source of Reality you can experience in your soul in a very short time what will eventually be uncovered using the mind’s logic and reasoning.

HARPER:       Are you saying the truth eventually unfolds just by the fact of living long enough, but faith in the right things can move you along more quickly and smoothly?

ALLEGENTIA:       That is correct. Knowingness is not a sometimes-on sometimes-off phenomenon in the universe. You can know now and know accurately. Objective reality does, of course, encompass the lower levels of reality, but subjective reality is always expandable to the higher and larger levels of universal, cosmic, and objective reality.
     The truth available to you is in a large measure limited by the ceiling you impose upon yourself. Faith can push the possibilities beyond your circumscribed view by opening up a larger array of reality. Faith is knowable inspiration. Worshipful creative imagination can be spiritized. In other words you can know more than you have learned. There are many levels to self-conscious discovery. You know about the normal day-to-day experience of intellectual thinking and practical doing. Faith can tap into the higher levels, even up to the level of Objective Reality.

HARPER:       The image of a ladder had often been used in our philosophies. It seems like we are in for many phases of advancing reality. And it seems like faith will be a big part of our upward reach.

ALLEGENTIA:       The manner you experience reality in the future will continually change, becoming more and more intense and deeply felt. However it is always possible to break through to a greater realization, an actual spiritual experience of reality beyond your current equilibrium, with a courageous faith-grasp.
     In the long run all will be revealed. If a belief is true it will continue to be true no matter what, then you can call it faith. Faith is a personal, God-centered, revelation of supreme values and divine ideals. Faith is expanding and liberating; it motivates a productive, service-minded life. It fosters personality survival and rejoices in advances in all fields of personal endeavor.

HARPER:       That sound like something I would like to try but mostly I have been grounded in the facts, although I do like a good discussion like this one.

ALLEGENTIA:       I can see in your soul you have led a contemplative life. This has been valuable and you will continue to pursue your intellectual interests. But even though you have had friendships, you have yet to flourish in your interpersonal relationships. This will be one of the things you can, and should, pursue in heaven.

HARPER:       Well, okay. I don’t see why not. Any other things you see I should look for?

ALLEGENTIA:       It would be advisable if you worked on having more fun.

HARPER:       That sounds good to me too. I am looking forward to it. And thank you, this has certainly been enlightening. You know, I would have thought speaking with an angel would have made me uncomfortable, would have been intimidating, but you are easy to talk to.

ALLEGENTIA:       Thank you. You too.