The Watchtower Society and John and Morton Edgar - A2Z.org

they would least expect it, then they win know that weare Jesus' disciples.Remember to say often to yourselves : " Have I thislove shut up in my heart ?-Lf so, I have only developedthe bud of godliness." Or : Am I showing the brethrenmy love by my words and actions ?-If so, I am glad,for that means that I have developed into the blossomstage, and soon I should expect to develop the fruit oiall-comprehensive love." Remember that to love abrother means that you will tell him so ; by! it means alsosomething more, as the Apostle says : Love not inword [only]. but in deed and in truth ** (1 John 3 : 18)Dear Brethren, let us all pray to God that he will enabltus not only to have thoughts and desires in the directionof loving our brethren in Christ with a pure heart fermrently, but that we shall love them as Christ loved usnamely, by laying down our lives for them in the way hcdid, no matter whether they are kind and loving to us inreturn, or are speaking evil of us and are unkind towardus. Let us remember that we are all still in the flesh andliable to err.This brings us to a special point of likeness between theblossoms of trees and this love of the brethren. Theblossoms lay down their lives for one another. It sohappens that God has formed them in such a way thatno blossom can fertilise itself, for the pollen, the life-givingpart of the flower, ripens first. It is not until the pollenhas k,n cast off that the germ inside ripens, ready toreceive and be fertilised by the pollen irom other blossoms.When it has been fertilised, the petals fall off and the fruitbegins to grow. How does the pollen get to the otherblossoms ? It is by means of insects which flit aboutfrom flower to flower, carrying the pollen with them ontheir legs and bodies. They do this, not for the purposeof fertilising the blossoms, but in order to suck the sweetnessout of them.27