The Life Within Us
We are spiritual beings now, and love gives
that truth a place in our daily lives.
Introduction
There are moments when we become aware of something deeper in ourselves. We sit beside someone we love and sense that our presence matters more than anything we could say.
We remember a person who has died and hear, in our minds, the very words they would have used. Or we surprise ourselves by responding gently in a situation where we would once have spoken in anger. These experiences are familiar, yet they leave us with a question. How much of who we are can we really see?
In this recording from the Devon Centre, dated 6 August 1986, Edward Randall speaks with members of the circle about what he calls the ether, the divine spark within each person, and the continuity of life after death. John asks what it means to have a spiritual nature while we are still on earth. Anna asks Edward to explain what happens at death in plain words. In answering them, Edward moves from the vastness of the universe to the intimate scene of a family saying goodbye. His thought keeps returning to a simple conviction. We are already living a spiritual life, and we can give it fuller expression here and now.
Listen to the recording — Edward Randall – 153
The Message from Edward Randall
Edward begins by asking us to look differently at what appears empty. In his account, the universe is permeated by an unseen energy he calls the ether. He describes spirit as intangible and says it finds expression through the mind and through forms suited to different kinds of existence. In his understanding, the physical body gives us a way to experience earthly life, while an etheric body allows the person to continue to express themselves beyond it.
The conversation becomes more personal when John asks about the divine spark. Edward understands the kingdom of heaven within as a spiritual capacity present in every person. He gives that idea practical meaning through love, understanding, tolerance and service. These qualities take shape through the way we speak, the attention we give, and the care we offer when someone is struggling. Each time we exercise them, something of our inner life becomes visible to another person.
Edward also speaks about the effort involved in growing. Someone else’s life may appear easier when we see it from a distance, yet every person has difficulties we may know little about. He compares the mind to a garden that needs tending. He speaks with a touch of humour about the weeds we all have to remove, including those he and his companions have had to deal with themselves. There is kindness in that admission. We can discover an old prejudice, a habit of resentment or a tendency to judge and begin working on it with patience.
When Anna asks about death, Edward offers two views of the same moment. On earth, a family watches a beloved man grow weaker after a serious illness. They remember the kind father he has been, and they grieve as they face life without him. From the perspective Edward describes, the man is being welcomed into a life where he is free of the pain that marked his final days. Edward pictures a butterfly emerging from its cocoon. The family sees the body that has carried someone they love through a lifetime. Those on the other shore, in his telling, see the person emerge and begin to discover what is now open to him.
For Edward, that new life still holds learning, creativity and companionship. The man is welcomed with an understanding that he has made mistakes, as everyone does, and is invited to keep learning and to prepare for the eventual arrival of those he loves. Near the end, Edward acknowledges how difficult it is to put spiritual experience into ordinary words. He asks us to consider how hard it is to describe love itself. We can tell the story of what someone did for us and still find that the feeling goes beyond anything we can say.
Recommendations
Make a little room for silence.
A few quiet minutes can help us hear what gets lost in the rush of the day. We might sit by a window, say a familiar prayer or let our thoughts settle before we reach for the phone. If a worry keeps coming back, we can give it a name and ask what it needs from us today. Sometimes the next step is a conversation. Sometimes it is simply allowing ourselves to rest.
Tend one corner of the garden at a time.
We may recognise a habit of interrupting, rehearsing old grievances or assuming we know why somebody behaved as they did. Choose one habit and pay attention to when it appears. If we catch ourselves halfway through a familiar reaction, we can pause there. That small moment of awareness is already part of the work Edward describes.
Let others come to spiritual questions in their own time.
Edward asks for discretion when sharing these ideas, especially with someone who has come seeking help. We can offer the same courtesy to those around us. If a friend asks what gives us hope, we can answer honestly. If they simply need someone to sit with them, we can do that wholeheartedly.
How to Apply This Today
We can begin at home. Edward speaks about creating a more serene atmosphere, especially for children. Think of the moment when everyone is tired and a small mistake sets off a sharp exchange. We may be the person who spoke too quickly. If so, we can go back and say, “I was cross, and I spoke harshly. Let me try again.” A child who hears those words learns that people can take responsibility and make things right. An adult who hears them may finally feel able to say what was troubling them.
We can also notice where comparison has made us less generous. Perhaps someone seems to have all the support or ease that we ourselves long for. When we feel that familiar sting, we can ask what we are missing and whether there is someone we could speak to about it. The other person’s life can then return to its proper size in our minds. We see a human being whose full story is largely unknown to us.
And if someone close to us is grieving, we can offer something specific. We can ask whether they would like us to come round on Tuesday, bring a meal or walk with them to a place that brings back memories. We can say the name of the person who died and share a small story they may never have heard. Perhaps their loved one always took the time to greet a neighbour or had a way of making the quietest person at the table feel included. A memory like that gives the bereaved a glimpse of the life their loved one had in other people’s hearts.
Spiritual Reflections
What stays with me most is that Edward allows us to stand for a moment on both shores. On one there is a family who would give anything to hear a familiar voice again. On the other, in the picture he offers, there is a welcome for someone who has been through a long illness and can finally experience freedom. We may find comfort in that image one day and feel the weight of absence again the next. A birthday, a song or a familiar footstep in the hallway can bring the loss close. We can give those moments their time.
The butterfly also invites us to reflect on the life we are living now. We have bodies through which we can hold a hand, share a meal, write a letter or bring someone a cup of tea. These are ordinary acts, and the person receiving them often knows exactly what they mean. When we are the ones who need help, we can let somebody do the same for us. There is a quiet generosity in receiving care and letting another person know that their presence has made a difference.
Edward’s image of the divine spark asks us to see a little more in each other. We may never know the effort it took for someone to get through the day with kindness intact. We may never learn how long a word of encouragement stayed with them. But we can pay closer attention, beginning with the people whose presence has become so familiar that we sometimes forget to tell them what they mean to us.
Perhaps today there is one person we can call while there is time to hear their voice. We can tell them something we remember, thank them for a kindness they may have forgotten, or simply ask how they are and stay long enough to hear the answer. In that small exchange, the life within us has found a way to speak.
Transcription of the Recording