Gifts of Heaven · Volume 3 · Chapter 420

The race

18th July 1847

A parable about life on earth

[1] Today, the so-called artistic riding society, which is now present in this city, produces a race on horseback on the glacis. Each rider has to ride through the elliptical course three times in a few minutes; and whoever from the whole equestrian society rides through the racecourse three times in the shortest time, gets an honorary flag as a victory bonus and nothing other but his usual fee. So the notice shows it.

[2] But this in itself quite worthless and highly adverse to Me, is still a splendid picture of mankind and it's striving in this time.

[3] The sphere of action of the present people is like such a race in which everyone runs to death to the best of his ability, but still does not get ahead by a hair's breadth. For from this standpoint (namely of death), from where it runs out, on the same standpoint it also stops – usually for all eternity.

[4] But the three times running around corresponds to the threefold world-race of mankind. It is like the way in which a man in his early youth once ran through a carnal cycle of sin in all haste and with exceedingly great carelessness with eating and drinking, fashion and fornication, dancing, playing and the like. After this first round comes the so-called male, second cycle, consisting of lies and deceit, envy and stinginess, suspicion and slander, pride, arrogance and imperiousness, lust for profit, gold and money, unkindness, mercilessness, unbelief and finally full godlessness and the like.

[5] Then comes the third round, if such a "world racer" has not already run himself to death during the first or second race of his world circuit. This third race is called the senile weakness of the body and even more of the soul and most of all of the spirit and is only distinguished from the first two in tempo moderato. It also corresponds to the old proverb "used youth – spent age".

[6] And so one "race" resembles the other to a hair. And the man who has passed through such a course remains himself the same, and then, in old age, is seldom a hair better than he was in his youth.

[7] The reward, a worthless (honorary) prize-flag in today's racing, is exactly the same – with the only difference that the racer gets it in his hand and gives it back at home for a later similar purpose; but the world-racer is covered with it, but also only for appearance; for at the grave, this flag of honor (the differently vainly decorated dullness) is likewise taken away from him again for a future similar purpose for another world-racer! This flag is then for many a sign of victory and figurehead that death has triumphed over them, and not they over death! A sad price for so much vain effort and work in this world – for this world!

[8] At the very end there is this: "nothing but the usual fee!" This quite ordinary fee for all the vainly foolish world-racers is the grave, well-known to everyone – putrefaction, and instead of resurrection, the quite ordinary eternal death or hell!

[9] And look, there we then have our "world-racing" and "world art-contest" together with the price and "nothing else but the usual fee" so beautifully together under the picture of today's art and competition production that we could not wish and paint it more beautifully! Go, if you will, and observe from afar it's loose gears, and you have the unveiled world before you, or, if you prefer to accept it, also the unveiled hell!

[10] Only the difference is still to be noticed: Through this breakneck enterprise and vain effort, this society of artistic riders at least provides for their earthly livelihood, if nothing else. But the world

champions usually don't even take care of that, because they are usually taken care of in this respect anyway. Therefore, they only care for what is there of eternal death. For they know nothing about life, and therefore do not worry about it. And even if they are at some time reminded thereof, they still do not believe and remain "world art-fighters" and "world-racers" for the above price and usual fee.

[11] Beware, therefore, of such worldly arts (proverbially spoken) that result in such a disgraceful price for eternity! This say I, the Almighty! Amen.