Reading Life Through The Principle - Day 4

Thank you very much for joining me. I'm going to start, or carry on really, from where I left off yesterday. I'm going to be looking at this little topic here. Now, I remember when I first heard the Principle. Indemnity is one thing people hated to talk about. I hated the idea, and I remember when Father said the energy of indemnity was over, people thought, 'Great, finally finished with all this suffering and all this miserable life.' But to be honest, I think it's really important to try and understand what indemnity is, because I think it's a rubbish word in English. It doesn't really convey what the meaning is; the Germans have a much better word for it, but we'll come to that in a moment. Before we look at indemnity, I want to look at the whole idea of restoration and talk about restorations of indemnity. What's restoration to start off with? This is how I understand restoration: restoration occurs when you find yourself in a similar position to Adam, Eve, the Archangel, Cain, Abel, or your mum or dad, or one of your grandparents or your great-great-grandparents. You find yourself in a similar position to one of these people in history, either one of these archetypal biblical figures or one of your direct ancestors, and then you have to face the same temptation or a similar temptation to make the same mistake that they did.

Of course, when you make the same mistake that they did, you continue the pattern of fallen history, and the pattern of fallen history continues and is passed on from generation to generation. But you choose not to do so, and instead of acting out of your fallen nature, you act according to your original nature and you follow your conscience. That's what restoration is: you break the cycle of abuse and the pattern of fallen history. I'll give you an example from my own life. I went to a boarding school a bit like Hogwarts, you know, if anybody's read those books by J.K. Rowling. I didn't learn magic, unfortunately, but I went there from when I was 13 to when I was 18. I had a teacher responsible for my academic work to keep an eye on me academically and from a pastoral point of view to make sure I was doing all right. I used to go and see him and his wife quite often. He was in his mid-twenties, and his wife was also in her early to mid-twenties as well. I got on very well with them, and I used to go around for tea and coffee several times a term.

When I was about 17, I fell in love with my tutor's wife. I used to have all these fantasies about how I would marry my tutor's wife that I had fallen in love with, but I realised there was only one problem: she was already married. I thought, 'I wish her husband would die, then I can marry her.' I contemplated this for a while, trying to imagine different scenarios under which he might die or I might try and arrange his death by snipping the brake tube in his car or something so he'd have an accident. But eventually, I came to my senses and realised what a selfish person I was. I realised I was a selfish person. I didn't really love her; I realised if I really loved her, then I would want her husband to live, and I wanted them to continue to be happily married and to have children, which they didn't have at that stage. I realised I was a really selfish person.

Anyway, I was a Christian, I still am, and they were Christians as well. As a Christian, I felt I had to go and tell her what I was thinking. One day, I invited myself around for tea, thinking, 'Well, I'm going to go and tell her what I've been thinking; I've got to go and confess.' It took a while; I sat there in silence for a long time, drank about 10 cups of tea, and finally, when I was on a caffeine high, I said to her, 'I've got something to say. I've fallen in love with you, and I want to marry you, and I want your husband to die.' But you'll be happy to know I've changed my mind; I now realise I'm a really selfish, self-centred person, and now I just want you both to really be happy and to have children. Anyway, she's a very wise person; she was a trainee marriage guidance counsellor at the time, so she wasn't at all phased by me. Then she said, 'Why don't you come and tell my husband?'

Her husband was next door in his study marking exam papers or writing reports or something. When she said that, I just wanted the floor to open up and swallow me. I couldn't imagine anything worse than going and telling her husband that I'd fallen in love with his wife and I wanted him to die. But anyway, I drank another 10 cups of tea, plucked up the courage to go next door, and interrupted him. I said, 'I have something to tell you: some bad news and some good news. The bad news is I've fallen in love with your wife and I want to marry her, and I want you to die. The good news is I realise actually I'm a really selfish, self-centred person, and I don't want that anymore. I just want you both to be really happy and have children,' which I knew they wanted anyway. It took a lot for me to get that off my chest, and I felt completely liberated. They were both so happy that I had the freedom to express myself; I was free to be completely open, honest, and transparent about these unspeakable thoughts and feelings that I had. For me, it was very liberating.

When I heard the Principle, I realised I went through a similar experience that the Archangel went through. Then I realised the Archangel didn't really love Eve; he just wanted Eve for himself. That's what it means to have selfish love or false love: you just want that person for yourself. You want that person because they make you happy, as opposed to thinking about what is going to make that other person happy, what is going to be good for that other person's well-being. So I realised then when I was 17 or 18, I went through a similar kind of experience as the Archangel, but instead of doing what he did and following his emotions and feelings, I realised somehow I stepped back. I was a Christian; I prayed about it. My conscience told me, 'You're a really selfish, self-centred person,' and then I changed. I had a change of heart, a change of mentality, a change of everything. That experience then really changed my life because it completely changed the way in which I looked at girls.

I no longer, as a 17 or 18-year-old, thought, 'Oh, I would love to sleep with her and have sex with her,' having sexual thoughts 100 times a day. Instead, I came to the decision, 'Oh, actually, I don't want to have a sexual relationship with any girl or any woman until I've married them.' I realised that's what love is. I realised love is not wanting that person for yourself and having sexual desire and satisfaction, but wanting what is the best for that person. In that sense, I realised when I heard the Principle, I went through a similar kind of experience that the Archangel went through, but I listened to my conscience instead of acting out to my fallen nature, which is what plenty of people do, as we well know. I listened to my conscience and I overcame that, and that, as I said, changed completely my way of looking at women. That basically is the way that God's providence or restoration takes place. As it says in the Principle, it is the function of the conscience. Were it absent in fallen people, God's providence or restoration would be impossible.

Sometimes people say, 'Why doesn't God restore the world more quickly?' But it's not God who's restoring the world. God's providence and restoration only goes forward to the extent that people listen to and follow their conscience, sometimes at the risk of their life. Why do we have religious freedom? Not because God blessed us with religious freedom, but because there are certain people at certain moments in the history of our country, various countries, that at the risk of their life stood up for religious freedom. Quite often, they were martyred for it. But at the end of the day, religious freedom came about and all kinds of other freedoms as well, but that's only because people were willing to follow their conscience, even at the risk of their life. That was the extent to which God's providence was able to advance. So we look at the world in which we're living today; you might wonder, 'Why doesn't God do something?' It's nothing to do with God; it's all to do with us. Why don't we do something?

Sometimes people say, 'Well, why did God allow six million Jews to be murdered in Germany during the Holocaust?' What's it got to do with God? Why do you ask God that question? Why didn't He do something? Nothing to do with Him. The question is, why do people do it first of all? And secondly, why did all the bystanders not stop it from taking place? They might have been killed, but without people willing to stand up and follow their conscience at the risk of their life, unspeakable evils take place. So that, I would say, is how I understand restoration: you find yourself in one of these situations and you face this temptation to do that, but instead of doing that, you follow your conscience and do the right thing instead. Then you break this pattern. Yes, and that's the only way it can happen. That's the only way restoration happens: when people find themselves in the situation and overcome the temptation to do the things that are wrong. This is the way that we purify ourselves; this is the way we purify our lineage.

We talked about this a bit yesterday. I showed that little video about how trauma is passed on, how good things are passed on. This is the way in which our lineage is purified, so we overcome these things ourselves. That means that our children are born with less fallen nature than we had. They're born in a better circumstance, a better situation than ourselves, hopefully. You know, it's not always as easy as that, but hopefully. So let's now look at this word indemnity. What is the word? What is indemnity? To be honest, the way this word is used in our spiritual community is mostly wrong. Sometimes people have a car accident; they say that's indemnity. Sometimes people fall down the stairs and break their leg, and they say, 'Oh, that's indemnity.' Sometimes people get a headache and say, 'I must be paying indemnity for something.' But that has got nothing whatsoever to do with indemnity. This is what it says in the book, and it's a good book to read. I recommend a book called The Divine Principle, and this is what it says: to restore something, one must make the necessary effort or pay the due price. If you fall down the stairs and break your leg, what do you need to do to restore that? Prayer? Condition? Three-day fast? No, you have to call an ambulance and go to hospital to get your leg set. That's the necessary effort.

If you got a headache, is that indemnity? No, it's a headache; it's suffering. What is indemnity? If you have a headache, indemnity when you have a headache is taking an aspirin or a paracetamol. It's restoring something to the way that it was before something went wrong. That's why it says in the next sentence, indemnity is a process of restoring the original position. So indemnity is what you need to do to restore yourself to the way that you were before something went wrong, to restore your leg to the condition it was before you fell down the stairs. It says there, or you pay the due price. So what is the due price of falling down the stairs and not going to hospital? Your leg eventually heals, but you end up with a limp because your leg is no longer straight. That makes sense? You know, you go along to the doctor and the doctor tells you, 'Oh, you're sick; to get well, you need to take this medicine.' But you decide not to, then, depending on the circumstances, you may pay the due price and not get better. So indemnity then is whatever you need to do to restore the original position: your health, but also relationships. For example, if you're walking along the street and you bump into somebody, what should you do? Well, you know you bumped into them; you've hurt them, so obviously to restore that, you should apologise and say, 'I'm sorry for bumping into you,' or just 'I'm sorry,' and then normally the person says, 'That's all right,' or they might even say sorry as well.

How do you feel when someone is rude to you? You might feel bad all day, thinking about that person who bumped into you and left you with a bruise. You might even end up ruining your day over it. But supposing the next morning you see them again, and all those memories and resentments arise in your mind. You might think, 'I’m going to pay them back by bumping into them even harder.' This is often how people react. However, if they bump into you and apologise, then the bad feeling dissipates. When you see them again after they apologise, you might smile, recognising that they made a mistake but took responsibility for it. This can lead to a positive interaction, perhaps even exchanging greetings daily.

Restoration is key in these situations. If you bump into someone, especially an elderly person carrying a basket of food, it’s not enough to simply say sorry and walk away. You must get down on your hands and knees, apologise profusely, and help pick everything up. Eventually, they will forgive you. Restoration means doing whatever is necessary to return things to the way they were before your mistake. A life of indemnity is not about suffering; it’s about correcting the mistakes you’ve made. This can involve picking things up, apologising, or finding ways to restore relationships and communities.

In a broader sense, we must consider what steps we need to take to restore our community or country. Understanding what went wrong in history is essential for this restoration. Indemnity conditions require us to identify what must be done to restore something to its original state. Sometimes, people mistakenly believe that indemnity is about fasting or praying, but it must be practical. If the principle is not practical, it becomes a waste of time. Indemnity is about reversing the process that led to the loss of the original state.

For example, if you have an accident and damage your car, indemnity means taking it to the garage and paying for the repairs. If you neglect to fix it, you risk a more serious accident. Indemnity is not about repetition; repeating a mistake only compounds the problem. It’s about restoring what went wrong. In spiritual communities, some may think that repeating past mistakes is a form of restoration, but this is a misunderstanding. True restoration involves making things right again, not simply repeating the past.

Let’s consider the concept of compensation. In English, we have the expression 'tit for tat,' which reflects the idea of equal retaliation. This notion comes from the biblical principle of 'an eye for an eye.' However, this is not about revenge; it’s about justice and restitution. For instance, in the 19th century, factory legislation was introduced in Britain to ensure that workers received compensation for injuries sustained due to faulty machinery. If a worker lost a finger, they would receive a certain amount of money as compensation. This principle of justice ensures that the punishment or compensation is equivalent to the injury suffered.

Now, let’s discuss divine or parental justice. Imagine a young boy, full of energy, accidentally breaking a valuable family heirloom. When he apologises sincerely, his parents are moved to forgive him. They may ask him to help around the house as a form of restitution, but they understand that his efforts cannot truly compensate for the loss. This reflects our relationship with God; through sincere repentance, we can access God’s grace and forgiveness. Many testimonies illustrate how individuals have transformed their lives through sincere faith and repentance, experiencing profound changes.

In contrast, satanic justice operates differently. If you offend a bully, they might retaliate with violence, escalating the situation rather than resolving it. This is not justice; it’s a cycle of revenge. The same principle applies in broader contexts, such as during wartime, where one act of violence leads to disproportionate retaliation. This reflects a failure of sincerity and a lack of true restoration. Justice should be about fairness and restoring balance, not perpetuating cycles of harm. When we understand these principles, we can better navigate our relationships and communities, striving for true restoration and justice.

Society must work on a fair system of punishment for crimes, not just to punish but to deter individuals from committing evil acts. The law serves as a deterrent, and if it fails to do so, it becomes ineffective. In a family context, however, the foundation should be built on endless forgiveness and repentance. Family members must forgive one another repeatedly, whether it be a spouse, child, or sibling. If a family operated on a tit-for-tat basis, it would inevitably break down, just as society would descend into chaos without a foundation of forgiveness.

When discussing the concept of indemnity, we can draw parallels to everyday situations, such as parking a car. In cities, parking is often limited, and if one exceeds the allotted time, they face significant fines. This system is designed to ensure that parking spaces are available for everyone. I recall an experience where I parked my car on a holiday, only to find it had been towed, resulting in a hefty fee to retrieve it. This illustrates the principle of paying a greater price to restore something to its original state, which can also apply to human relationships.

In relationships, particularly during significant moments like a wedding anniversary, a simple apology may not suffice. One must go above and beyond to mend the hurt caused by forgetting such an important date. This principle extends to various aspects of human interactions, where the act of restoration often requires more than just words. The Divine Principle accurately describes the underlying principles of human relationships and our connection with God, highlighting the need for a transformative approach to love and forgiveness.

The process of restoration is not merely about individual actions but also involves families and communities facing similar challenges as those in the past. Throughout history, we see patterns of temptation and division, such as the stories of the divided kingdoms and the crucifixion of Jesus. These events illustrate that restoration occurs when individuals or groups confront similar temptations and choose a different path. The necessary conditions for indemnity must be met for true restoration to take place.

As I engaged with the teachings over the years, I realised that the stories of restoration are not just historical accounts but narratives that reveal deeper truths about human relationships. Through these stories, we can discover ourselves and understand the complexities of human nature. Each character, whether flawed or virtuous, reflects aspects of our own lives, allowing us to empathise and learn from their experiences. This narrative approach to ethics provides a richer understanding than a purely intellectual analysis.

When examining the stories of figures like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, we see that they are not entirely good or bad; they are complex individuals with strengths and weaknesses similar to our own. Understanding their narratives helps us grasp the nuances of human relationships, including the challenges faced by parents and children, as well as husbands and wives. The fallen nature affects all relationships, leading to corruption and the need for restoration. By exploring these dynamics, we can better appreciate the journey towards healing and reconciliation.

Powerful stories in the Old Testament often go unread, yet they hold significant lessons. The relationships between Adam and Lucifer, Abraham and Sarah, and Pharaoh, as well as Cain and Abel, Esau and Jacob, and Joseph and his brothers, are central to our understanding of the Divine Principle. This framework allows us to view these narratives through the lens of the four great realms of heart. It provides a principled way of studying these stories, which is distinct from the foundations of faith and substance. I believe this approach offers a more engaging perspective, enabling us to relate these ancient tales to our own lives and experiences.

When discussing the foundation of faith and foundation of substance, I often notice that people tend to lose interest, as this part of the principle is not the most popular. However, I encourage you to bear with me, as I aim to clarify what these concepts truly mean. The Divine Principle states that for Adam to realise the purpose of creation, he was to fulfil two conditions. Initially, I found it odd that Eve was not mentioned, so I took the liberty of editing the text to include her. Both Adam and Eve were meant to establish the foundation of faith and the foundation of substance.

The first condition was for Adam and Eve to establish the foundation of faith. We often think of the foundation of faith and foundation of substance solely in terms of restoration, but they are fundamentally about creation. These foundations are not explicitly mentioned in the creation section of the Divine Principle; they only appear in the restoration part. Adam and Eve were meant to create these foundations themselves, which is why we are now in a position of restoration. The second condition required them to establish the foundation of substance, which would lead them to become one with God and fulfil the first blessing.

To fulfil the first blessing, Adam and Eve needed to create both the foundation of faith and the foundation of substance. Once they achieved this, they would have been qualified for marriage. In the context of restoration, the focus shifts from marriage to establishing a foundation to receive the Messiah, who ultimately comes to bless marriages. Initially, when we hear the principle, we are tasked with restoring our foundation of faith and foundation of substance. Once we overcome our fallen nature and develop into decent human beings, we are then ready for marriage.

So, what constitutes the foundation of faith? For Adam and Eve, it was about keeping the commandment: not eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. This essentially translates to maintaining sexual purity until marriage. The foundation of faith for every individual revolves around this principle. During this period, one should focus on developing a spiritual life, free from distractions that often accompany romantic relationships. The most crucial aspect of this development is following one's conscience, which should be informed by the word of God.

Faith, in essence, is a confident belief or trust in the truth or trustworthiness of a person, concept, or thing. Adam and Eve were to trust God, knowing that He cared for them and loved them. This trust would allow them to live within the space created by the commandment. The foundation of substance, as outlined in the principle, involves the word moving from the mind to the heart, leading to the incarnation of the word of God. This is similar to how a medical doctor acquires knowledge through study and practice, ultimately embodying that knowledge in their profession.

Confidence stems from knowledge. For instance, a mechanic has confidence in fixing cars because of their training and understanding. Faith is not about believing in the impossible; it is about trusting what is true, even when circumstances seem challenging. An example of this is the fear of flying. Many people witness countless successful flights yet still fear flying due to a lack of faith. If they truly understood the principles of aeronautics, they would recognise that flying is logical and not miraculous. Thus, faith is about internalising knowledge and becoming the embodiment of that truth, much like Jesus, who was the incarnation of the word of God.

If Adam and Eve had become the incarnation of the word, they would have matured and gained the respect of the archangel, establishing proper order in the world. However, due to the fall, they lost faith in God's word, failed to keep the commandment, and became dominated by the archangel. This led to the development of fallen natures and a corrupted state. Restoration involves making an acceptable symbolic offering to restore the foundation of faith. Each individual must make their own offering consistently, regardless of their circumstances.

An illustrative story involves Moses and a shepherd who expressed gratitude to God by offering milk every night. When Moses questioned the shepherd about his offering, the shepherd learned that God appreciates the heart behind the gift, even if God does not need milk. This story highlights the importance of consistent offerings, whether through prayer, tithing, or other spiritual practices. It is about restoring a consistent spiritual life and developing a relationship with God, regardless of the ups and downs of daily life. Through this process, we can recover our original nature and grow spiritually.

At the south farm, it was really cold. I jumped out of bed like a little rabbit and ran the bath full of cold water. I said a little prayer and was just about to get into the cold bath when suddenly my feet were rooted to the bathroom floor. I could not get into the bath, and all these thoughts flooded my mind: you're crazy, you're mad if you get in and have a cold bath, you're going to have a heart attack, you're going to die. What are you doing in this ridiculous place doing these ridiculous things? You are out of your mind. Suddenly, all these evil spirits filled my head with a thousand good reasons why I shouldn't have a cold bath. I decided, however, that I was going to do it anyway. I lifted my leg up and put it in, then the other one, and stood in the bath. Thoughts came into my head, telling me I could get out now that I had done it, but I insisted that I would sit down in this cold bath. I lay down in the cold water, and my body protested again, saying I could get out. I replied, 'No, I'm going to put my head under the water and count to 21.' So I did, and when I got out of the bath, my mind was as clear as a bell. I had many spiritual experiences and realizations that week, and I realised I had separated from Satan in that sense.

As it says in the Divine Principle, the foundation phase decides ownership: do you belong to God or do you belong to Satan? You set up some little condition like this, and Satan wants to claim it. I have no doubt that if I hadn't had that cold bath, I wouldn't be here today; my life would have taken a whole different course. If I hadn't overcome that, I would have left the workshop, and that would have been the end of my spiritual life and the spiritual movement. Many of you may have had this experience of breaking some kind of spiritual condition. When you break it, all this heaviness surrounds you, sometimes like depression, a dark heaviness sitting on your head for a certain amount of time. You feel like giving up, like packing it in. One just has to persevere through it. Satan invades and gives you just as much hard work or suffering as God would have given you blessings. If you've done it correctly, you'll receive that amount of blessing. If not, Satan will make your life miserable to an equivalent amount. You just have to persevere and eventually come out the other side, which is how it works.

Sadly, some people can't handle themselves; they can't manage this and sometimes do something terrible. That's why I emphasise developing a consistent spiritual life, which ultimately is about being a central person in the foundation of substance. This is about spiritual life, but the principle also applies to ordinary life. If you want to become a doctor, you have to study in medical school, read all the books, and learn the content. When you memorise it, you must sit an exam. If there's a question you don't know the answer to, you can't ask the examiner for help. If you pass your exams, you get a certificate, which you can frame and put in your surgery. You become a doctor, and patients come to you, recognising that you have made the appropriate conditions to be the central person in that relationship. They trust you because you know much more about medicine than they do.

The same applies if you want to become an aircraft mechanic; you need to work hard, learn everything, and pass all the exams. In a good society, that's how it works. In a terrible society, you can bribe the examiner or photoshop your certificate, and you can get a job. Clients come to you, and if you don't fix the aircraft properly, it could fall out of the sky. That's why you have to study for a certain period of time and pass the exam. Words have to go into you. If you go to a doctor and he says, 'Excuse me while I just look up the symptoms on Google,' you won't have much confidence in him. Foundation substance is restored by making acceptable substantial offerings that fulfil indemnity conditions to remove fallen natures. You need to overcome your fallen nature, and as we discuss the Cain-Abel relationship, Cain has overcome his fallen nature, but Abel also has his own fallen nature to overcome.

Parent-child relationships are characterised by fallen nature on both sides, as are husband and wife relationships. Those of you who are married know this inside out. Restoring these relationships involves not just the relationship between the archangel and Adam but also the four great realms of heart, which are characterised by restoring fallen nature in each of these relationships. The condition for the restoration of parents is crucial. To be a parent is not just about giving birth to children; it also means existing in a relationship with those children such that they want to spend Christmas with you, go on holiday with you, and love you. Having a good family relationship is essential. Making kids is the easy part; the challenge lies in having that kind of relationship with your children, where they come to visit you and care about you. My parents always wanted my sister and me to get along, and my mother would often ask if I had phoned my sister recently.

In a nutshell, the Cain-Abel dynamic and foundation substance are what Father spoke about. What does Abel have to do first? He must become one with God, which is the foundation of faith, developing a relationship with God and separating from Satan. Secondly, he must love the archangels, which is the foundation substance. He must win the archangel's recognition, which I discussed yesterday. The archangel must acknowledge that he is truly the son of God and therefore the heir apparent. In other words, he should become the lord of creation, winning the birthright. At this moment, the person in the position of the archangel is Cain, while the person in the position of Adam is Abel. We must understand this clearly, and to be honest, in our spiritual community, we often haven't understood this very well.

This is something you are all familiar with. I'm not going to read the whole thing about history, but it says that to become a historical victor, I must understand clearly the heart of God when working with past prophets and saints. I must grasp the original purpose for which God called them and the details of the providential missions entrusted to them. I realised that the way we study the principle usually lacks detail; we don't go through these stories in much detail at all. We often just look for where they failed and then move on. I am interested in knowing the details of these providential missions because we can learn a vast amount from them. We have to walk in their footsteps, and if we don't know the details, we cannot understand what we are supposed to walk in.

It all starts with Abraham, the father of faith. You might wonder what that means, so I will share some stories. Where did Abraham come from? What was his world like? Those of you who have read Genesis will know that Abraham came from a city called Ur in Sumeria, the first place in the world where cities were formed. When you have cities, you have dictators who are powerful and rich, doing all kinds of nasty things, such as getting harems and oppressing people. The place where Abraham lived was ruled by someone called Nimrod, a person with a huge personality cult. His name means 'letters revolt,' and he was revolting against the idea that someone higher than him, before whom he would stand in judgment, would judge him—namely, God. He was an atheist in that sense and hated God. He built the Tower of Babel, wanting to reach the sky and shoot arrows at God. This project mobilised all the people living around him into a vast collective workforce, typical of dictators who like to undertake grand architectural projects for their own glorification. Nimrod is the archetype of all dictators throughout human history.

One day, Abraham realised that he existed. He thought to himself, 'I haven't always existed; I can't remember when I didn't exist.' So, he asked his parents, 'Where did I come from? Did you buy me on eBay?' They explained to him how they loved each other, how his mother became pregnant, and how he grew inside her womb until she gave birth to him. Abraham was amazed and began to worship his parents, thinking, 'Wow, you made me; you created me.' However, after a while, he wondered where his parents had come from. They told him they were once babies too, and that they came from his grandparents. So, he stopped worshipping his parents and began to worship his grandparents instead.

Eventually, Abraham looked at his grandmother and noticed her wrinkles. He asked, 'Grandma, you have so many wrinkles; it looks like you've been alive forever. Is that true?' She replied that she had parents as well. Curious, Abraham asked where they were, and his grandparents explained that they had died and were buried in the graveyard outside the town. Intrigued, Abraham went to the graveyard, scrubbed the gravestones, and began worshipping his great-grandparents. He continued tracing his ancestry and worshipping his ancestors until one day, someone disturbed an old grave while digging a new one. Abraham looked inside and saw only bones and dust, leading him to conclude, 'Oh, that's where we come from: the earth. We are made of dust.'

From that point on, he began to worship Mother Earth, thinking, 'This is where my body comes from.' However, one day it was cold because the sun was hidden behind clouds, and Abraham felt the chill. The next day, when the sun came out, he felt warm and alive. He realised that life comes from the sun, not just from the earth. Thus, he began to worship both Mother Earth and Father Sun. As the sun set, he pondered that there must be something beyond the earth, beyond the sun and stars. He concluded there must be an invisible God who created the heavens and the earth, something unchanging in a world of change. He decided to worship this invisible God.

Abraham's father, Terah, was an idol maker. One day, he told Abraham, 'Tomorrow is market day, but I must go to the palace to show Nimrod my latest models.' He asked Abraham to stay home and look after the idols in the temple. Abraham agreed. The next day, Terah asked him to take the idols to the market to sell them. Abraham loaded up his van and set up his stall. An old lady approached him, wanting to buy one of his idols. Abraham questioned her, 'Why would you want to buy one of my gods?' She explained that someone had stolen her gods, to which Abraham replied, 'If they could be stolen, they aren't very powerful, are they?' The woman, flattered by Abraham's charm, asked who he worshipped, and he told her he worshipped the invisible God who created the heavens and the earth. She decided to worship Him too, becoming his first disciple.

At the end of the day, Abraham returned home and told Terah he hadn't sold anything. Terah was frustrated and asked if others were selling better or cheaper idols. Abraham recounted his encounter with the old woman, and Terah thought, 'What a foolish son I have! You'll never be a salesman.' The following month, Terah insisted on going to the market himself, leaving Abraham to look after the idols. Abraham approached the largest idol and asked it to speak to him. When it remained silent, he tried feeding it a nice English breakfast, but it still did nothing. After an hour, he returned to find the food untouched and declared, 'You're not a god; you're just a piece of stone.' He then took a sledgehammer and smashed the smaller idols, leaving the larger one holding the hammer as evidence of its powerlessness.

When Terah returned home and saw the destroyed idols, he confronted Abraham, who explained that the largest idol had refused to eat breakfast and had instead smashed the smaller ones. Terah was incredulous, insisting that idols made of stone and wood couldn't walk or eat. Abraham replied, 'Exactly! So why do you worship them?' This shocked Terah, and he asked Abraham who he worshipped. Abraham affirmed, 'I worship the invisible God who created the heavens and the earth.' Terah decided to take Abraham to see Nimrod. When they arrived, Terah bowed down to Nimrod, but Abraham stood firm. Nimrod demanded, 'Why don't you bow down and worship me?' Abraham replied, 'I only bow down to the invisible God who created the heavens and the earth, and He will judge you for your wicked deeds.'

Furious, Nimrod threatened Abraham with death if he did not worship him. Abraham responded, 'I don't fear you; God is more real to me than you are. If you kill me, I will be with God in the spiritual world.' This enraged Nimrod, who had Abraham arrested and thrown into a fiery furnace. According to the Talmud and the Quran, the fires went out, and Abraham emerged unscathed. Eventually, he and his family decided to leave Ur and went to Haran. Abraham was dedicated to truth, even at the risk of his life. He transformed from being the son of an idol maker to the son of God, worshipping the invisible God who created the heavens and the earth. It wasn't that God chose Abraham; rather, Abraham found God at great personal risk, which is why he is known as the father of faith. In today's context, he would be like a dissident in a repressive regime, unwilling to compromise his beliefs, even if it meant facing imprisonment.