The Desired One has come, and He will come again, yet you say: who will prove to us that He is God?
I ask you, dark brethren, and answer me what I ask you. If you were to send word to God to come to earth, how would you desire to see Him?
As a man we would desire to see Him, more beautiful than all the sons of men, mightier than all the sons of men in word and mightier than all the sons of men in deed. We would desire to see Him resplendent as a king's son; not proud but meek as a lamb; one who would enter under our roofs, eat and drink with us, and share with us all things except our weakness and our sin.
Then I say to you: you yourselves have proved that God was among us. —
We would desire to see Him as a man, though He can appear in any body. When He speaks, let Him speak mightily, as never man spoke. When He walks through this world, let Him walk not as a hireling and a slave but as a master. Let the waters and the winds obey Him, let men follow Him, let evil spirits flee from Him. Let Him be of help to men every day: comforting the sorrowful, healing the sick, raising the dead. Such a God would we desire among us. —
We would desire Him to come to us not as a king, with riches that perish, and an army that vanishes, and splendor that grows dim — not as a king but as one greater than kings. And we would desire Him to come to us not as an ordinary prophet, but as the One prophesied from the beginning of time, who would dare to say that He is older than time; and who would foretell to us what shall be at the end and after the end of time. And we would desire Him to come to us not as a priest, but as a high priest, in whom all three are mirrored in one: God, and priest, and sacrifice. Such a God would we desire, to appear among us. —
Then I say to you: you yourselves have proved that God is among us. —
We would desire Him to come quickly and to depart, for we could not endure Him for long. Yet even when He departs, we would desire His word to resound through time and space, without end and without ceasing, and that from His footsteps the earth burn with heavenly fire as long as the earth endures. —
Then I say to you: you yourselves have proved that God was among us.
The Desired One came among men just such as men could desire, and better still, and stronger still, and more beautiful still, and yet men, ah, even then said: who will prove to us that this is God?
The Desired One will come again, my soul. Like a fiery dragon He will fly down, and, if you do not recognize Him, He will fly away, and truly you will see Him no more. Arise, my soul, and sleep not but keep watch. And fix within yourself the image of the Desired One, as He is, that you may know Him when He comes.
Let the images of all the worlds go out from you, and let His image fill you wholly, from east to west, and from north to south. That you may know Him when He comes.
For like a fiery dragon He will come and go, and you will drowse and say: who will prove it to me?
If you do not prove it to yourself, no one will prove it to you.
If your eternal life does not prove Him to you, your eternal death will prove Him to you.