Maharaj ji is speaking to two close members of his “inner circle”–Sunny (Hardip Singh Chahal) and Swaranjit Singh. Swaranjit has arranged and donated the statue of Jesus that now stands at Jesus’ Place. First he had searched for paintings of Jesus with his arms outstretched, as Maharaj saw him. Then when he found one that Maharaj ji approved, he hired a special sculptor to translate that two-dimensional painting into a three-dimensional statue. The result is very touching and lifelike, so Maharaj is speaking about how a statue can help to connect us with the invisible, immaterial Power.
God’s Power is in all things, from the start. There is no place where He is not. To the bhagat (lover of God), He appears in whatever form that person wants to see Him.
What is a statue? Stone. The artist made that statue according to an idea–how to make its face, its hair. But if you cut it, no blood will come out. He wanted to make it beautiful, so that it would bless people. Then a faithful person came. The artist did his work and she did hers. She lit candles and asked Jesus to bless people through the statue. So God began working from that form.
There are thousands of examples of how God gave blessings through statues. All prophets are also manifestations of God in human form, so that humans can see that subtle power in manifest form. A person may insist that God is Formless, Nirankar, but you will never meet Nirankar.
When Bhagat Nam Dev was a child, his father told him to perform the ritual offerings to the family’s idol in his absence. Bhagat Nam innocently tried to offer milk to the statue, but nothing happened until he begged the statue to please take it so that his father would not be angry with him. Eventually, seeing his sincerity, God took the milk through the statue.
From the beginning, God has made material things, and through them has given people what they asked for. Mirabai’s longing was for Krishna, and her body merged with the statue of Krishna.
Perhaps God is Love. That Love takes form just to please people.