ON LOVE; PART MCDIV
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FIRST IS THE GREAT COMMANDMENTS: “The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31).
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WHAT THEN IS LOVE? In a general sense love is benevolence, good will; that disposition of heart which inclines men to think favorably of their fellow men, and to do them good. In a theological sense, it includes supreme love to God, and universal good will to men. While this IS from an older definition of Charity, which IS rendered in the King James Bible from the same Greek word agape which IS generally rendered as Love, we should amend our own definition here to include the idea that in the reality of Love a man will accord to ALL men ALL things that he would accord to himself and to say that Love IS our thoughts and attitude of the equality of ALL men regardless of their outward nature or appearance…that ALL ARE equally children of Our One God.
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PLUS THE EVER IMPORTANT AND HIGH IDEAL TAUGHT TO US BY THE CHRIST: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them” (Matthew 7:12).
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We ended the last essay with our trifecta of spiritual reality, the words of the Master regarding men’s part in the quid pro quo that leads us “into the glorious liberty of the children of God“. We noted how that this idea of quid pro quo, something that is given or taken in return for something else* IS NOT an accepted spiritual idea in most ALL of Christianity which sees ALL that comes from God as a “free gift” that requires ONLY that men ‘believe‘ and confess that belief. It IS this attitude, one that has been encumbering the church since the church fathers, that keeps the Christian from a True relationship with the Lord. While Paul emphasizes the idea of the gift, we should note that in the use of the words “free gift” which have been rendered from the Greek word charisma, the word free IS added by the translators to a word, charisma, that IS a derivative of charis which we should always understand in terms of grace. If we can see this idea of charisma as a form of grace, not as a different form but rather as a different part of speech, we can then perhaps understand the deeper intent that the apostle IS showing us in such sayings as “Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life“. In Paul’s words from Romans the idea of the gift IS simply the grace that comes to men who choose to seek it as the apostle DOES explain saying that “not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many” (Romans 5:18, 15). He shows us here the relationship between the offense of Adam, of mankind, which IS our Life in vanity and the gift of Christ which IS our potential release from that bondage. We should try to see that Paul IS speaking in terms that ARE understood by the Jews in those times where the idea of the ‘fall of man’ supersedes any more common sense ideas that ARE attached to men’s vanity. This IS the story that Paul shows us later in this epistle as he says that “the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because expectation that the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Romans 8:20-21). As we have discussed many times in this blog, the church DOES NOT see the reality of vanity as the human condition that must be escaped; most ALL find that the idea of “free gift” IS easier to understand and more comforting to men who have come to rely upon the illusions that ARE the doctrines of men.
This idea of illusion IS much more far reaching than just in religion; illusion and glamour afflict most ALL of humanity and can be seen in most every human endeavor. While the source of our illusions and glamour ARE based in the vanity that IS defined spiritually by Vincent as: a perishable and decaying condition, separate from God, and pursuing false ends4, it IS empowered by men’s nurturing and indoctrination into the ways of the world; this indoctrination IS an especially powerful tool wielded by those who have assumed authority. In religion this sense of indoctrination IS ‘handed down’ if you will; it IS intended for the single purpose of bringing the thoughts and attitudes of religions, denominations and sects into the hearts of ALL who choose to follow any particular path. In politics and in matters of national affiliations the same IS True except the perpetrators ARE men’s chosen leaders in party politics and national allegiances. To be sure, the realities of indoctrination DO filter down to even family and community Life and there IS NO specific criteria for men’s acceptance of any of these forms of worldly control over one’s psyche. While the idea of psyche IS defined by some as: the human soul, mind, or spirit*, this defining idea IS NOT founded in an understanding of a human existance that divides these ideas of soul, mind, or spirit into separate components of Life; the former idea sees ONLY the man in the world much as doctrinal religion DOES and this despite the contrary ideas offered by most ALL world religions. Indeed, this IS the reality of most ALL of the mysteries; it IS this idea of the nature of man that has been debated for eons and which IS discussed in such sayings as “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?” (Hebrews 2:6). This question goes back to the psalms where the King James wording IS the same in the eighth but slightly different in a later psalm where we read the idea as “LORD, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him!“.
And the given answers, partial answers to be sure, ARE offered in different contexts which when combined can show us a picture of the nature of man; in the Eight Psalm we read this as: “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet” (Psalm 8:4-6). In the later psalm the writer says “LORD, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him! Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away” (Psalm 144:3-4). We should see two views of man here; in the first we see a glimpse of his divinity while in the second we see ONLY a view of the man in this world. In these we can see both the potential and the reality of Life in this world; in the first we should try to see the man whose focus IS upon the things of God; it IS he that Truly has “dominion over the works of thy hands“. In the latter we see the existance of man in his vanity and the temporal nature of his Earthly existance. Taken together we should try to see the complete man whose Life begins in vanity and who, by his escape from “the corruption that is in the world through lust” will realize that he IS “a little lower than the angels” and that he IS crowned “with glory and honour“. It IS this man who can move the focus of his Life off of the self and the things of the self, “the corruption that is in the world through lust” if you will, and refocus his Life onto the things of God: agape and Truth.
It IS this refocusing of one’s Life that the Master teaches us as He begins His ‘ministry’ saying “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). These ARE not idle words but rather Jesus’ opening salvo of a long line of teachings that show the man who can make this Life change what IS the True reward, what IS the True grace of God. We should try to understand here that this grace, this reward, IS Life according to the spiritual view that the Master tries to show us but which most ALL have never understood; Jesus says such things as: “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it” (Matthew 16:25). While the doctrinal Christians work their doctrines toward what they believe IS the reward, ‘eternal Life in that mystical heaven’, they fail to see the greater reality that IS hidden from them; a reality that IS embedded in the words of the Master and His apostles. To say that this IS hidden from the doctrinal Christian IS NOT to say that such ideas CAN NOT be found out; it simply means that to see these hidden aspects of Life one must per force be seeking them and this according to the Master’s words saying “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Luke 11:19). In this active asking, seeking and knocking we have the reality of the man who IS willing to “Strive to enter in at the strait gate” (Luke 13:24) and while the doctrinal thinker may believe that he IS DOING this, he IS but suffering from his own self deception. The Apostle James shows us this saying that “be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22). In these words we have the KEY to the True Life as the man who DOES keep His words DOES “lose his life for my sake” and in this he can understand by measure “Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations” (Colossians 1:26).
While the revelation of the mysteries IS a major benefit of Truly following the Master, a benefit that leads us to a real understanding of such ideas as “the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21) and “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27), there IS much more. This revelation IS an intimate part of what Peter shows us as those “exceeding great and precious promises” and here we should try to see that NONE of the promises offered here or by the Master ARE concerning our specific lives here in this Earth; ALL such promises ARE spiritual benefits which transcend our little mortal lives. Again, the promises of God are summarized for us in the simple idea that we can become “partakers of the divine nature” and while this reality comes to us by measure, in its fullness we will be found to be “perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). Men however must DO their part and in this lies the idea of measure; the more effort one contributes to his own striving “to enter in at the strait gate” the greater the measure of his reward; that the church DOES NOT recognize this idea of quid pro quod DOES NOT change the reality and the Truth which IS clearly stated throughout the bible. And while Peter summarizes this idea saying that one must have “escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:4), we should try to see that this escape IS a part of that same reward which begins with our True Repentance, our True change of the focus of our lives. The idea of reward IS presented to us in the quid pro quos of the Old Testament where the this for that idea IS found throughout in the words of the Lord through Moses and the prophets. This same idea IS presented for us by the Master in several passages and by his apostles as well but these proclamations ARE changed by the doctrinal authorities through the rendering of words and a ‘refusal’ to see this Truth by the church from the days of the church fathers onward. Let us look at some of these quid pro quo realities beginning with our trifecta in which there ARE three; repeating our trifecta we read:
- “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32).
- “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).
- “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me” (John 14:21-24).
For us this IS the clearest example of the reality of spiritual Life found in the Master’s words and the most difficult for any man to deny IS Truly representative of the idea of a quid pro quo which IS aptly defined as something that is given or taken in return for something else*. In each of the ‘promises‘ listed there IS a condition and while the doctrinal thinker takes possession of the promise, he fails to take responsibility for his part of the equation, an equation that IS NOT arbitrary but specific. And while it IS True that partial responsibility will produce some measure of the ‘promise‘, this IS NOT the view of the church which tends to ignore the revealed Truths incorporated into such sayings even as they take possession of the fullness of the ‘promises‘ offered. These three parts of our trifecta ARE repeated in every blog post because in our view these encompass ALL other versions of the quid pro quo that ARE shown to us in the New and the Old Testament; nowhere DO we find the revelation of a ‘promise‘ or a man’s ability to have that ‘promise‘ in his Life without his fulfilling of his part in the equation. The effect of quid pro quo IS an active principal throughout the bible and while this IS most often a corporate offering in the Old Testament, it IS fully individualized in the New and this regardless of the positive or the negative framing of each ‘this for that’ idea. From the negative side we should see the idea of quid pro quo in the earliest chapters of Genesis where the offer IS Life or death, unexplained to Adam and Eve, based in their eating of the ‘forbidden fruit’ of “the tree of knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:9). We should note here that this IS among the very first choices biblically offered to men and we should understand here that ALL such choices have to DO with the working of the carnal mind. This IS clear here in Genesis for these individuals and should be as clear corporately in such sayings from Moses as: “if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God“. Can we see the point here? Can we see that the ONLY way to the ‘promises‘ IS to “hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD“? We should note here that the idea IS repeated from the negative view as Moses continues saying “if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee” (Deuteronomy 28:1-2, 15). These ARE men’s choices in the Old Testament, choices which they failed to see through their doctrines which accept the ‘promise‘ without accepting the cost.
In the Book of Leviticus there IS another version of this same idea; Moses speaking as the Lord tells the Jews that “If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them“, that they should have another list of promises, again corporate promises, which ends with the Lord declaring “and I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people” (Leviticus 26:3, 12). To this day the Jews see themselves as Gods’ chosen people while the Christian world largely agrees with this belief. However, as we KNOW from the history given us in the Old Testament, the testimony of the prophets and the words of the Master against the Jews religious views, the nation of Israel never DID “walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them“. Can we see the sense of illusion and glamour that has encumbered the Jews for centuries and which perhaps has led to the same sense of illusion and glamour that encumbers the Christian churches yet today. There IS little difference between the choices offered by Moses and those that ARE offered in the New Testament where the same sense of quid pro quo IS easily apparent. That this idea of something that is given or taken in return for something else* has never been an accepted doctrinal reality in either the Jews’ or the Christians’ religion IS an unfortunate fact and that few if any see this reality keeps such doctrinal thinkers in that state of deception that IS the result. In our trifecta we have three distinctly different ideas presented by the Master in the form of a quid pro quo. In the first we have men’s access to the Truth and here we should understand that Jesus IS referring to “the truth” and not some part of that Truth. We should understand as well that it IS this Truth that “shall make you free“, a freedom NOT as IS painted by the doctrines of men but a freedom from “the bondage of corruption” which IS the worldly effect of the vanity to which ALL ARE subjected. It IS through the Truth that we ARE freed from our vanity, from our illusions and glamour, but there IS a stated cost which IS that we should “continue in my word” and be “my disciples indeed” as Jesus shows us. Most ALL fail to understand that this Truth IS the revelation of the mysteries which bring us to that place where we can Truly KNOW God. This reality of Truth IS afar off from the doctrinal ideas presented by John Gill who says that: the truth shall make you free; from ignorance and error, and the prejudices of education, under which the whole nation laboured, and from the thraldom of the law8.
While the second part of our trifecta seems to be on a very different topic, the reality IS that being able to “enter into the kingdom of heaven” IS based in the same idea of Truth, the same revelation of the mysteries through which we can KNOW the reality of the Kingdom and understand fully that “the kingdom of God is within you“. The quid pro quo in this part of our trifecta IS abundantly clear; if we want to “enter into the kingdom” we must “doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven“. Despite this clarity, the doctrines of men teach an altogether different idea of heaven as they place it into the afterlife while denying the idea that Jesus presents as the Kingdom Within. While several bible translations render the idea as “the kingdom of God is within you“, many render the idea according to doctrinal ideas saying that the Kingdom IS “among you” with one rendering as “in the midst of you“. Few can understand the reality of the Soul, that his steady dwelling place IS both in the Kingdom and in the man. Perhaps a better understanding can be had if we can look at the reality of the Soul as the True Life of a man, the Life force that animates the physical form but which remains hidden because of men’s intent focus upon their own carnal self. It IS in DOING “the will of my Father” that one can come to realize the Truth of the Kingdom which IS framed by the Master and His apostles in seemingly political terms which the men of those days could understand. In the end, the Master’s intent here IS simply to show men that in order to “enter into the kingdom” one must keep His words, an idea that IS expressed to show the Jew’s an essential Truth. The third part of our trifecta includes the same idea of a quid pro quo which Jesus shows us from both a negative and a positive perspective and as a more complex reality that includes having the Presence of God and one’s ability to declare that one Loves the Lord. While millions of Christians profess that they have the Presence of God in ways that correspond with the ideas of the Trinity, few if any see that they have a part in the reality of having His Presence. The doctrines of men have conflated the ideas of being “born again” (John 3:3) and having the Presence of the Lord, stated in our trifecta as “we will come unto him, and make our abode with him“, with Paul’s words on confession and affirmation of the Lord. As we discussed in the last essay, this idea of confession from the Greek homologeo should be understood as: that of confessing Christ out of a state of oneness with him. “Abide in me, and being in me, confess me.” It implies identification of the confessor with the confessed, and thus takes confession out of the category of mere formal or verbal acknowledgment4 and we should note here that few see this in this same way. Most believe that their formal or verbal acknowledgment DOES make it so. This state of oneness with him IS the subject of Jesus words in our trifecta and we should easily see that there IS a very specific criteria that Truly makes this so; that one should “hath my commandments, and keepeth them“.
We should understand here that the doctrinal Christians’ belief that he has the Presence of God in any form of the Trinity IS but a part of the religious glamour and illusion that has been built by the church for 2000 years and here we should add again Vincent’s example of True homologeo, True confession, which he gives us in Jesus’ words saying “Not every one that saith unto me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ shall enter into the kingdom of heaven“. Here the Master offers us additional words that explain how that mere formal or verbal acknowledgment IS meaningless and He DOES so against the ideas of the Christian churches which at the time DID NOT exist. Jesus says: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:21-23). Unfortunately few see the force of these words against the doctrinal assertions that offer men a greater sense of ‘spiritual’ comfort. In these same verses from our trifecta we have yet another Truth that comes to a man that “hath my commandments, and keepeth them” which IS the ‘ability’ to Truly profess that he DOES Love the Lord and here Jesus references both the Father and the Son. What we should see in this idea that a man should Love the Lord which IS stated in the Great Commandment as “thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment” IS that this sense of Love IS NOT in any way a carnally oriented Love. This sense of agape IS the same whether the subject of that Love IS one’s neighbor or the Lord; this sense of agape IS found in giving up, forsaking to use the biblical idea, ALL that takes one’s attention away from the things of God. And Jesus summarizes this idea in the more simple to understand saying that “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them” IS he “that loveth me” and in this we should see the totality of Loving the Lord “with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength“. These ideas ARE inseparable which Jesus also shows us saying “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).
There ARE many sayings from the Master that support and reinforce this idea of agape for the Lord, an idea that DOES NOT require the doctrinal understanding of such things as ‘worship’. The simple act, simple to say but NOT so simple to DO, of keeping His words IS the singular KEY and we should understand here that there ARE NO rote doctrinal ideas to follow save those ideas that ARE the Great Commandments where we Love the Lord as stated above and “love thy neighbour as thyself” (Mark 12:30, 31). This sense of agape IS the meaning behind such other sayings from Jesus as “why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46) as well as the doctrinally disputed idea that men should “Take no thought for your life“. Should we conflate the idea of “Take no thought for your life” with the commandment that “thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength” we could perhaps see and understand the relationship of these ideas. To take “thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on” (Matthew 6:25) certainly DOES NOT comport with Loving the Lord “with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength“. The intent should be clear here but few there ARE that understand this against the doctrinal force that IS concerned more with the ability of men to live as men in this world than the singular Truth that IS agape. The Master’s words from our trifecta ARE clearly written by John and Matthew in their gospels and there should be NO difficulty in understanding their intent. And many Christians DO NOT deny the intent of these sayings while at the same time arbitrarily placing themselves on the receiving side of the equations presented without acknowledging the necessity to also live according to the responsibilities clearly elucidated. Too many believe that they Love the Lord without considering that to Truly DO so requires that one “hath my commandments, and keepeth them“; and too many believe that they have the Presence of the Lord in their lives without being among those who “that hath my commandments, and keepeth them“. It IS to such persons that the Apostle John writes such things as “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4) and here we should note that to have the Presence of the Lord in one’s Life IS to KNOW our God of whom the apostle writes that “God is love agape“. It IS to the same persons who believe that they have the reward without acknowledging the cost that the apostle writes in our selection that “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also“. Repeating our selection, we read:
"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also" (1 John 4).
The idea of quid pro quo in our trifecta ARE uniquely personal and show us the cause and the effect of our comportment in Life. They show us that to have the Truth we must keep His words; that to have the Kingdom of God we must keep the words of the Father of whom Jesus also says “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30). Similarly to have His Presence and to have that evidence that one DOES Truly Love the Lord, we must keep His words. Keeping the word of the Lord IS the common thread that runs through most ALL spiritual promises in both the Old and the New Testaments yet this idea IS forsaken by the doctrinal approach of men for a variety of reasons; ALL carnal reasons to be sure. While the ideas of quid pro quo from the Master that we have presented here ARE uniquely personal, the same ideas ARE offered to us matter of factly in our selection above and in the writings of ALL of the apostles. John shows us that we CAN NOT Love the Lord if we DO NOT Love everyman and while some try to assert that John’s idea of brother IS one’s ‘Christian’ brother, this idea IS but another example of the illusions and the glamour of men. Similarly John’s words on confession ARE also a statement of fact but one that IS misinterpreted by the doctrinal thinker who DOES NOT understand the reality of this sense of confession; a sense which must be confessing Christ out of a state of oneness with him which idea takes us back to the Master’s criteria for having the Presence of God; a Presence that comes ONLY to those that will keep His words. There ARE endless examples of quid pro quo in the New Testament both in the Master’s words and in the amplifying and clarifying words of His apostles which IS the way that we should look at most ALL of our selection from John’s First Epistle.
We will continue with our thoughts in the next post.
- 4 Word Studies in the New Testament; Marvin R Vincent D.D. 2nd edition
- 8 Bible commentaries on BibleStudyTools.com
- * Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Those who walk on the well-trodden path always throw stones at those who are showing a new road.
Voltaire, Writer and Philosopher
