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[Guest guest]

Namaste, dear all.

 

Today I received a letter which I want to share. It struck me as a fine

explanation

on the common question why God let people suffer here on earth. While it is

presenting kind of dvaitic view, some of us who prefer to taste sugar, not

to be one, may like it.

 

Best,

 

Lilia

 

 

The Finest Silver

 

There was a group of women in a Bible study on the book of Malachi. As they

were studying Chapter Three, they came across verse 3 "He will

sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."

This verse puzzled the women and they wondered what this statement meant

about the character and nature of God.

One of the women offered to find out about the process of refining silver

and get back to the group at their next Bible study.

That week this woman called up a silversmith and made an appointment to

watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her

interest in silver beyond her curiosity about the process of refining

silver.

As she watched the Silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and

 

let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the

 

silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn

away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot - then she

thought

again about the verse, that he sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.

She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front

of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered

that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to

keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the

silver was left even a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

 

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, how do

you know when the silver is fully refined? He smiled at her and answered,

"Oh, that's easy - It's finished when I can see my image in it."

author unknown