The New Man will have to have a new name. It's spoken of in the Revelation but not always well understood. MacDonald gives us the opportunity to dig a little deeper into its important meaning.

Many people have tortured themselves thinking they had committed the unforgivable sin. MacDonald sheds what light he had on the subject and does a fine job of helping us to a fuller understanding of the text and our relationship with our Creator.

As we progress spiritually we move from basic faith that believes what we hear about, read about and experience to a different kind of faith. The higher faith is the faith that doesn't have to be explained and cannot easily be explained.

Fire represents purification, perfecting, cleansing. Fire also burns that which is impure, not like itself. MacDonald treats the subject brilliantly. If you are able to understand there is much to be understood.

The Child in the Midst is the first unspoken sermon, now spoken, in George MacDonald's series of Unspoken Sermons. He's interested in showing us a portrait of God based on the teaching Jesus offers his disciples after discovering them bickering over who is the greatest.

Introduction to the series, Stones Cry Out.

The poem reiterates the need for a guide to cross the ocean of this world and reach the Ocean of Love, our real home and final destination. Somehow it's easier for us to understand our need for a guide on a safari than it is for us to grasp the need for a spiritual guide.

The poem continues with Kabir rebuking and restoring Dharam Das for his lack of faith in the Word. Dharam Das is still worried about his son, Narayan, who has rejected the path of liberation. Dharam Das and his son both represent the two main aspects of our configuration.

The poem continues to warn of the pitfalls that will befall those who seek liberation in the future. We're warned about unhealthy attachment to family and other relationships when they become dark attachments. It's the light that heals us.

Kabir, who represents the Master Power, tells Dharam Das, who represents us, what the future will hold for his family. It becomes clear that the world has come increasingly under the power of the negative force. The web of illusions are revealed.