The Angel of Love

Love is stronger

than the currents of deep waters.

Love is stronger than death.

Beloved, let us love one another:

For love is of the Heavenly Father:

And every one that loveth is born

Of the Heavenly Father and the Earthly Mother,

And knoweth the Angels.

Ye shall love one another,

As the Heavenly Father hath loved you.

For the Heavenly Father is love:

And he that dwelleth in love 

Dwelleth in the Heavenly Father,

And the Heavenly Father in him.

Let him that love him be as the sun

When he goeth forth in his might.

Brothers, be ye all of one mind,

Having endless love and compassion one for another.

Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge

Against the children of thy people,

But thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

If a man say,

I love the Heavenly father, but hate my brother,

He is a liar:

For he that loveth not his brother whom he has seen,

How can he love the heavenly Father

Whom he hath not seen?

He who loveth the Heavenly Father

Loveth also his brother.

Love ye also the stranger:

For ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

It is said by the people,

Better a dinner of herbs where love is,

Than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.

Loving words are as an honeycomb,

Sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.

The words of a man's mouth are as deep waters,

And the wellspring of love as a flowing brook.

What doth the Law require of thee,

But to do justly, and to love mercy,

And to walk humbly with the Angels.

By this do we know that the Angel of Love

Doth dwell in us,

When we love the Heavenly Father,

And keep his Law.

O Gracious Love!

O Creator of Love!

Reveal the best words

Through thy divine mind living within us.

Extract from 'The Gospel of the Essenes', Book Three.  As translated by E B Szekly.