November 1939

The situation is serious. Sea and air and land are arrayed against the Forces of Light; they are the agents of material substance and can be used potently against the spiritual Forces. The forces of the air are, however, increasingly on our side. The Members of the Hierarchy are hard put to it to turn the tide in favor of that true and more spiritual civilization which is on the way. This civilization will be a combination of the best which has hitherto been produced and that which is new and, as yet, dimly sensed by the best of the world thinkers. The tide must be turned in favor of that which we call righteousness.

The seeds of evil are in every country; those who war against that which is good are numerous in every land, whether they war with aggressive and planned intent, whether they preserve an attitude of passivity and acceptance, or a planned neutrality, as in America, or are actively fighting for that which is against the material forces.

The World Crisis was, as you know, inevitable, but physical warfare could have been avoided if right psychological methods had been employed, and it could have been cured if a process of transmutation and of transference had been correctly carried forward, and if the spirit of sacrifice had also been demonstrated by the world aspirants. The need for group sacrifice has not met with adequate response, except in those cases where it has been imposed by governments upon their nationals. Such is the sorry history of what is taking place today.

The Masters of the Wisdom have no time today to do the task Themselves; Their hands are full, combating the forces of materialism. These forces are active in every country; the Hierarchy in its consciousness does not isolate Germany, even though these forces have chosen that sad land for their major point of departure and enterprise; in Germany They have Their people working as elsewhere. The Masters of the Wisdom are active in dispelling the depressions and terrors which settle down upon all Their workers in the arena of the world today, as these workers struggle to stand steady under the fierce impact of wrong thinking and of worldwide despair; these workers are likewise sensitive (owing to their point of integrated development) to the agony of mind, the tension of emotion and the ravages of physical pain which are felt by all those upon whom the War has had its dire effects, and upon whom it has laid the hand of suffering. Such a sensitivity and such a sympathetic response are apt to produce a condition of negativity and a psychic preoccupation with the immediate situation among all workers, and thus render them deaf to the call of their actual duty or else liable to become distraught by the dual effort of being effective in service, whilst at the same time fighting off emotional reactions. The capacity of the worker to respond, therefore, to the inner voices and to serve dispassionately and selflessly is seriously handicapped.

The fusion of many minds into one directed activity is today of supreme importance; this has been symbolized in the union which now exists between two great nations, France and Great Britain. Unity of directed thought and purpose is the guarantee of inevitable and future success. The power of massed thought is omnipotent. The potency of focused and directed mental activity is unpredictable. If you accept this premise and this statement, then act upon it.

I would ask you to call as many people as you can reach through the medium of every available channel to a definite activity upon the coming Christmas day, if possible, and again at the time of the full moon of January, thus making two great appeals to the Forces of Peace and Light, so that they may help humanity. I would ask you to get in touch with leaders and workers - important and unimportant - in every land, asking them to associate themselves in their own way and with their own people, and to do this on as large a scale as possible - as large, at least, as that of your effort in May, 1936.

The times are ripe for a response to these ideas; the recognized pain and distress of the world will open both hearts and purses. The idea of a Christmas appeal and call to prayer and to invocation of the Prince of Peace will be potent in evoking a desirable reaction, and will serve also to blend into closer unity all who recognize the work the Hierarchy is attempting to do. I would ask you to call for help from all sides, and to let these ideas work out into the world on the basis of their usefulness and opportuneness. Omit from this appeal none that you know, for through them millions can be reached and swung into the desired activity.