121
Those whom he saved from their sins are saved simply for beautiful moments in their lives. Mary Magdalen, when she sees Christ, breaks the rich vase of alabaster that one of her seven lovers had given her and spills the odorous spices over his tired, dusty feet, and for that one moment’s sake sits for ever with Ruth and Beatrice in the tresses of the snow-white Rose of Paradise.[121.1] All that Christ says to us by way of a little warning is that every moment should be beautiful, that the soul should always be ready for the coming of the Bridegroom, always waiting for the voice of the Lover. Philistinism[121.2] being simply that side of man’s nature that is not illumined by the imagination, he sees all the lovely influences of life as modes of Light: the imagination itself is the world-light τò φ?? το? κοσμο?: the world is made by it, and yet the world cannot understand it: that is because the imagination is simply a manifestation of Love, and it is love, and the capacity for it, that distinguishes one human being from another[121a].
他从罪恶中救出来的那些人之所以得救，完全是因为他们生活中那些个美好的时刻。玛利亚看到耶稣时，就打破她七个情人中的一个送给她的玉瓶，将香膏抹在他跋涉劳顿，满是灰尘的脚上。就因为这一刻的缘故她得以永远与路得和贝雅特丽齐同坐在天堂的白玫瑰丛中。基督带点警告说给我们听的，全部就是每时每刻都得是美好的，灵魂要时刻准备好迎接基督如新郎般到来，时刻等待着那大爱之人的声音。平庸说穿了就是人性中不为想象照亮的那一边，他把生活中一切好的影响都看作各种方式的光：想象本身即是世界之光，世界就是用它造成的，可又理解不了它。这是因为想象说到底就是爱的一种表现，而是爱，是爱心的大小，把世人一个个区别开来[121a]。
121