When awareness turns to unite with presence, wisdom turns to unveil glory, empowered by the reign of glory to reveal its presence on earth as in heaven. Of course, the reign of glory is always present in the Spirit and when the eye of the heart is awake, but is hidden with Christ in God when the eye of the heart is blind. Led by the blind, believers do not turn and see but stumble in the dark and fall into the ditch. Led by the deaf in spirit, they become easy prey to corrupted ruling powers, who exploit those whom they oppress, control those whom they confuse, dividing those whom they control. When dictators seize power, they steal to enrich themselves and their collusive elites, whilst in democracies, covetous power seeks to disguise itself behind populist causes that expose the abused to poverty and misery. Might is right in the eyes of ruthless power elites, who subject the abused to subtle or explicit violence to preserve their control and elitist collusions. But if the confused begin to turn and see, they are empowered by the reign of glory that wisdom sees. Hearts release into wisdom, exposing the vanity of vainglory, awakening to the costly glory of love. The reign of glory watches in silence in the midst as it waits for hearts to turn and see, but in times of great suffering, hearts may begin to see through the lies of abusive powers, awakening love to freedom.
Saints were never promised peace at any price, but were often inspired to speak truth to power, sometimes paying the ultimate price of martyrdom. Patriarchs and bishops were then presented with a challenge, whether to listen to saints and suffering martyrs or to the ruling powers that be. The price of listening to martyrs could be martyrdom, whereas the rewards of colluding with ruling powers were a share in their kleptocratic control. Under ruthless dictators, they may be presented with many crucial choices, either to side with abusive powers or to listen to their suffering victims. Whether in democracies or dictatorships, they were often confused by divisive powers unless they awakened to the reign of uncreated glory. Believers were still vulnerable to demonic powers that lie to confuse and confuse to divide. The price of witnessing to the reign of glory was nevertheless embraced by saints, enabling them to speak truth to ruling powers. Sound development in general is inspired by a wise, enlightened intent, although such development may be uneven when lies and deception successfully intervene. The reign of glory unveils realms of love that open hearts to wisdom, releasing them from bondage to lies and delusions of deception into enlightening realms of purifying glory.
Sometimes, the reign of glory is the only voice that refuses to collude with ruling powers, in which case saints may pay the ultimate price of martyrdom. They do not declare peace at any price but pay the hallowing price of the glory of peace, martyrdom. In times of war, they bear witness to peace even when warring extremes are rife, refusing to listen to warmongering powers that serve the interests of those who profit from the manufacture and sale of arms. When war is forced upon peace by abusive violence, there may be courageous resistance without degeneration into corrupt warmongering. The voice of saints is not easily heard amidst the deadly din of war, but it is always heard in the reign of glory where peace-making inherits the earth. Saints hallow the Name that reigns in glory even in conditions of warring extremes, holding earth open to heaven when hells can only scream. Glory reigns when the Name is hallowed, but not when the Name is merely verbally repeated, despising the Spirit. Glory reigns in heaven where angels glorify God, but not when demons fall from glory into their self-serving lies. Glory is always decisive on earth, as it already is in heaven, for glorification in realms of glory is what turns warring hells back into the glorious peace of heaven, glorifying God’s holy reign of glory.