Baba says, “become doubly non-violent. You must not cause sorrow for anyone through your thoughts, words or actions.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on our world and cost millions their lives. It’s disrupted economies and education systems and taken away livelihoods. According to a UNICEF report, people, especially young people are feeling sad and hopeless. In India, 14% of 15 to 24-year-olds, reported often feeling depressed or having little interest in doing things. In the US, 51% of young Americans say they feel down, depressed, or hopeless. Various factors including disruption to routines, education, and recreation due to COVID, as well as concern for family income and health, is leaving many young people afraid, angry, and concerned for their future. In just the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by a massive 25%, according to a scientific brief released by the World Health Organization (WHO). The information we have now is supposed to be just the “tip of the iceberg” with Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, saying that “This is a wake-up call to all countries to pay more attention to mental health and do a better job of supporting their populations’ mental health.”

This must be the call to action for God’s children.

At this auspicious confluence age, God has come to liberate souls from sorrow; He says: “Do you hear their cries? The Father cannot bear to see them suffer.” he has come to establish a world free from even the slightest trace of sorrow and depression. He has come to establish a world of love, peace and happiness. And the first thing He does for this is adopt me as His own child so I can have a deep, intimate relationship with Him as my Father, Teacher, Guide, Friend, Beloved and constant Companion. He accepts me unconditionally and makes me belong to Him. This sense of love and belonging is what salvages the light of the soul that is down to a dim flicker and makes the soul hopeful again.

According to the drama, most souls will never meet the Father directly as you and I have; I am likely to be the closest they come to God. How am I showing up? Am I preaching doctrine – the rules, the dos and don’ts – to souls who have become numb with pain or am I showing them love? Brahma Baba was much beloved and became equal to God not so much because he preached doctrine but because he loved everyone like God does. His happiness was in the children’s happiness, his contentment was in their contentment and his peace in their peace. He thus became the Bestower of Fortune for souls; he opened the fortune of many.

Today, even though so many young people are sad, depressed, and hopeless, many don’t want to have a relationship with God because they feel judged and preached to. Many think that God is not good for this reason. Of course, one cannot deny that there are indeed many wrong choices people make routinely that contribute to their sorrow and hopelessness. What many subconsciously want is to be allowed to continue living their lives on their own terms and still have a relationship with God and go to heaven. And yes, God has told us that without purity in thought, word and actions, there is no heaven. But while this is the truth, the question becomes how best to communicate this truth in the present atmosphere when the mental state of souls is so fragile. Clearly, we cannot continue to preach doctrine to them!

Incorporeal God comes to establish the original eternal deity religion (Adi Sanatan Devi Devata Dharma), through Brahma and the Brahmins. And the first and foremost dharna of this religion is non-violence (Ahimsa paramo dharma). Himsa doesn’t just refer to wars or anger, but rejection is one of the greatest forms of violence against a soul. God teaches me to accept and reach out to souls where they are in their journey; He doesn’t give me permission to impose, judge, brand or label. “Baba teaches you so clearly“, says the Father. “Make everyone happy! To cause anyone any type of sorrow is violence. Deities didn’t have any type of violence in the golden age. They never cause sorrow to anyone through their thoughts, words or actions.” Religion is might, He reminds me; it is meant to give souls power through making them rulers of their inner kingdom again. This is why the Adi Sanatan Devi Devta Dharma that God establishes is said to be a religion with might because I claim the kingdom from the Father, I become a self-sovereign again.

And so the call of the time is to be an example before the world, of what an intimate relationship with God looks like. This means that I, as a self-sovereign, accept others the way God accepted me- unconditionally. And then slowly, they themselves will feel inspired to leave the wrong and false behind and embrace the truth. When souls first receive what they have been searching for, what they’ve been thirsty for, they will automatically let go of the wrong and false, numberwise, according to their own fortune.

“To ignite in your brothers and sisters, the lamp of hope and bring them to the right destination, is your duty”, the Father reminds me. The Father is the Comforter of Hearts and as His child, it is also my duty to comfort the broken hearts of my brothers and sisters by giving them the same love, respect, and honor that the Father gave me. This, is the call of the present time. BapDada constantly helps those souls who have such courage, says Baba. Whenever I have the thought to serve, to send powerful vibrations to souls that are hurting, the Father becomes present. To light the lamp of hope in every soul- the task might seem daunting but the Father says, “when you leave the responsibility with the Father, He knows His task. You remain double light angels and trustees and you will remain free from burden. When your heart is clean and pure, your desires are fulfilled. There definitely is success in elevated thoughts. The fruit of a thousand elevated thoughts is received from the Father in return for one elevated thought of the child. A thousand-fold for just one. So continue to distribute the treasures you have received from the Father! Become great donors! No one should leave empty handed.”