Glory inspires unselfish love at the heart of the glorified Name, but this love is crucified again and again by those who do not understand what they are doing. The saints in every age suffer persecution by those who know him not, by those whose hearts are hard and do not see. Elders in every generation impart the glory of the Name with love that does not seek its own, preparing the saints for the ordeal that their Lord suffered together with his prophets and apostles. The pattern is all too familiar, and the accusations are always much the same, plunging broken vessels into purifying fire, glory refining human frailty in the living flames of love. Fear rejects love, preferring to judge and condemn love so as to distance the fires of love, keeping love at arms length in the interests of self-obsessed control. Love holds fear steady with kindly patience, waiting for fear to turn and see the glory of the hallowing Name. It is not that the saints are not frail, they are, but they freely admit they fall short of love’s glory. Despite their brokenness, love’s glory bears witness to glory in their weakness, transforming their frailty into translucent radiance.
Christ came unto his own but they received him not, but turned on him in fear and fury crying, ‘crucify him.’ The Beloved Disciple remained by the cross with him, praying beside the tomb with him and saw him in her heart descending into hell. When she found the tomb empty, he came to her and spoke her name, transmitting the resurrecting light of his Name. She turned and recognised him, and saw God’s glory fulfilled in him but did not cling to him because glory pierced her heart communicating resurrection. She became the apostle to the apostles, transmitting resurrection and the glory of love. Out of fear they accused her of being a whore, subjecting her witness to blind control. This witness became white martyrdom again and again, whenever love was accused and condemned, judged and damned by those who do not know what they are doing. Fear does not understand love but persecutes it so as to drive it out into the cold. Love forgives fear and releases terror so that no trace is left of fear’s destructive terror or the compulsive terrorism of the scapegoating mechanism. Elders train saints in love’s glory of the Name, ascribing all glory to God. The white martyrdom of the desert trains seers in unselfish love that pours light into the wound, curing the fear that condemns love to hell. Love’s glory empties hells of fear, heals the pathologies of pride, and unravels the compulsions of terrorism.
Christ comes in glory with the Name, releasing fear and emptying hells of pride. Elders bear witness to the Name so that white martyrdom is understood, sustaining the saints with grace that purifies and illumines, opening hearts through the Name to glorification. God is glorified in love that burns up pride, revealing the Lord of Glory as ‘I AM’ glorified. This witness to the Name sees through veils of fear, exposing terrors together with the powers that be. Wisdom knows her own when her own know as they are known, love as they are loved, forgive as they are forgiven. When elders transmit wisdom and the Name, glory opens to glory so that love is not condemned. This countercultural witness unveils love’s glory in the saints, ensuring the Kingdom comes in glory when the Name is hallowed in wisdom. The blind condemn the saints but revere their relics and canonise them when they are dead. Fear’s religion needs its saints but does not understand love’s glory which it condemns to hell, the blind leading the blind to condemn the love that empties hell. Some such tragedy is played out in every generation. Whilst time reigns, white martyrdom waits for glory to come. When glory reigns, life is timeless in the embrace of unselfish love. Love’s glory is crucified with the Lord of Glory but glorification bears witness to the Name that opens glory to glory without end.