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grounded in a mystical, interfaith-Christianity inspired by Emanuel Swedenborg
The Transcendent Joy of the Holidays
Christmas and the holidays are an interesting time of year because no matter how seemingly nonreligious we become in Western society, we still love celebrating it and getting festive! I think this is because no matter our beliefs, there’s something compelling about the joy of the season, about the joy that comes when families connect, when we dress and celebrate festively, when we collectively listen to songs and messages about communal love, joy, and hope, and when we take some time away from the hubbub of life, focus on giving to the oppressed and our loved ones, and rest a bit in (relative) peace. We like to forget, but this is the type of joyous living that God encourages us to find throughout our traditions and specifically in the Christian Bible, and so perhaps there’s a lesson for us in the holidays that we can carry forward through the rest of the year.
Why Are There No More “Major” Miracles? Love
I find it interesting that despite the miracles found throughout holy texts, most of us don’t seem to see many miracles today (besides those “normal” ones of life itself!). If we look seriously at the spiritual insights that our scriptures try to present metaphorically (the reason why they’re often carried as communal parables), and particularly, at what kind of miracles these texts are trying to encourage, I think we might discover why there’s such a disparity! In short, I think it is the rootedness of miracles in love that helps explain what we might see as a lack of modern “major” miracles, similar to what the 18th-century interfaith-Christian mystic, Emanuel Swedenborg, proposed.
Be Still Within as Justice Advents Through You
There’s an empowering, interreligious message at the centre of our Moses tale today, and also one that is repeatedly uplifted by Jesus Christ in the gospels: “be still,” “accept peace,” “quiet your mind and know God.” Any practicing Buddhist or Christian Monk will tell you that this is at the heart of how Divine Awareness deeply advents into our minds, and yet, when we read scripture, we often miss this deep, central vein. Further, the concept of being still and tapping into our deeper, silent awareness, can often be misconstrued as being inactive (perhaps due to the seeming remoteness of monks!) where the opposite is the case; this inner stillness allows us to respond to the world with clarity, uplifting within and around us the Divine activities of compassion and social justice that are at the root of all life.
Shed the Beast and Uncover Our Humanity
God’s message of social justice, hope, and life sometimes gets watered down in our various understandings of the world’s scriptures, which is ironic since even the most esoteric sections of holy text point to the Divine’s mission of uplifting and empowering the entire world in spiritual health. One example, Daniel chapter 7 of the Hebrew and Christian Bibles, describes Daniel’s visions of beasts rising up and subjugating the earth in war and strife, but they’re eventually cast into a fiery river in front of the “Most High” who is the “Ancient of Days,” which then leads to “one like a son of humanity” to enter God’s presence and to rule over and empower all nations, releasing them from oppression. This story can be read on many levels, from the personal to Christ’s process of glorification during his earthly life, and as we break down its meaning I think we’ll all hope to not only embody its message ourselves but also as a diverse, interreligious society.
How to Walk Through the Lion’s Den
In Canada this week we celebrate Remembrance Day on the 11th, when we remember our fallen soldiers as well as the deep risk our armed forces face every day. And I think that no matter our country, religion, or creed, we would do ourselves a service to remember that no matter our differences, there are many of us willing to sacrifice our lives for what we believe is the greater good. That’s partly why it’s so important for us as a global community to continue to empower sound and healthy decision-making, as well as a peaceful, altruistic approach to the world and our neighbors. It’s also why we have much to be thankful for when it comes to our martyrs and those that truly wish the best for us and are loyal to their higher ideas, even unto death – just like Christ and like Daniel in today’s reading. And ultimately, we’re told by tradition after tradition, this life isn’t the end – indeed, whether it’s the afterlife or reincarnation, we all will continue our journey toward eternity and so should strive for that higher idea of humanity today for the benefit of our eternal future.
Renounce Your Pride, Regain Your Crown
In the ancient Hebrew book of Daniel, we see a continuation of the universal spiritual teachings that this book uplifts – with King Nebuchadnezzar falling from his kingship due to his pride and arrogance. In all of our beauty and personal gifts it’s easy to fall into similar vanities, but our feelings of pride only serve to undermine these empowerments from Divinity – the seed of consciousness called by many names, and they lead to our own fall. But although being cast down may seem like a setback for the king (it does speak to his need for change) we’re shown that even this failure can be viewed from the light of God as a necessary lesson for the healing of Nebuchadnezzar’s soul. May we each look at our own setbacks similarly: accepting the invitation to renounce our pride, regaining our crowns.
The Core of Our Humanity Overcomes the Fires of Life
Throughout time there have been many persecuted due to their loyalty to their cultural heritage and personal convictions, and unfortunately, religion has often been the instrument used to do this. Instead of inviting openness and cultural diversity, like Babylon in today’s story we often set up a graven image in the place of a loving God and then persecute others for being different – resigning them to the fire of our judgment if not the fire of outright persecution when we can get away with it. Strangely enough, we personally often consign our own innocent and spiritual side to just such a fire, and yet even so, even with such hate in our world, I believe today’s scripture (Daniel 3) shines light on the resiliency and fortitude of the spirit of Divinity within and within all other beings in their diversity.
Give Thanks for the Oneness of Life & for Every Moment
We have much to be thankful for today, even when we don’t have that gracious mindset. Like the king in our reading, we’re often only grateful to those who serve us – otherwise condemning them in our minds. Unfortunately, we can act like this king when it comes to our families, as well as even with the world around us in its diversity and life. As we head into a season of thanksgiving, let’s instead work to realize that every moment can be used for our growth and learning, and as an opportunity to uplift our families, our spirits, and all life.
Feed the Good Within, Release the Babylon
Today, like with Daniel, we can find ourselves trapped in many different types of Babylon: within religious bigotry, political demagoguery, or familial and personal oppression. And yes - we often find ourselves both taking part in an aspect of these as well as subject to their whims due to external pressure. It’s tough, because we each can feel somewhat set upon and oppressed while also being a source of oppression for both ourselves and others. The symbolic sense of the first chapter of Daniel speaks to how it’s important to acknowledge that both are true (since as a parable we are invited to internalize both Babylon and Daniel in our reflection), but also that we can start to feed the Daniel within “new food” and work toward the changes that will eventually transform our lives, community, and world toward freedom, compassion, and the diversity of cultural and spiritual health.
Rise Above the Flood with Your Ark of Clarity & Compassion
Using the lens of parable to explore the story of Noah and the Ark, we can’t help but immediately reflect on those moments when we’ve been inundated by metaphorical flood waters ourselves – or think about the current state of the world in many ways. There’s a naturalness to many of scripture's use of metaphors that we tend to relate to, biblical and otherwise. Whether it’s David and Goliath, Adam and Eve, Mohammed on the mount, or Cain and Abel, we immediately internalize these characters and stories into life lessons and personal insights; just as we do when we hear Christ speaking about debtors and kings to uplift forgiveness, compassion, and spiritual insight. Noah and the Ark is another tale in this vein - a tale that strives to both literally and metaphorically uplift life and spirit! Indeed, just as in real life, we can connect the metaphor of a flood to the hardships of our spirit; what the Bible and other traditions describe as our harmful desires and tendencies toward selfish autonomy, fear, and hurtful actions.
The Bible’s 2nd Creation Story: Receive Divine Autonomy & Accept Your Eden Buddhahood
Swedenborg’s conception of the fall was vastly different than that of your average Evangelical Christian in that to him there’s no such thing as “original sin,” nor is that sin something that we carry from birth. However, being the scientist and mystic that he was, Swedenborg believed that we adopt many of the tendencies of our parents and cultures – both spiritually and physically, and are called to turn back to Divinity to the extent we feel disconnected and behave uncaring towards others and our environment. In this way, like many others, Swedenborg was similar to many Buddhists and it’s partly why a key Japanese originator of Zen Buddhism in the West (Suzuki) called him a Buddha.
Why the Bible has 2 Creation Stories: Let Go of Self to Reenter the Garden of Bliss
Many have asked the question, “Why do the Hebrew and Christian Bible’s have two creation stories, back-to-back?” It’s strange, right? And the typical guess seems to center on the possible Israelite history of bringing diverse cultures together and not being able to choose just one! Although this might be plausible, in-line with our approach toward the Bible as primarily spiritual parable, today we’ll explore the second creation story as a deeper tale about the peace, growth, and bliss we find once we’ve reached a state of Sabbath (the first creation’s seventh day) and truly allow Divinity to help us let go of our egoic sense of self and ownership.
Day 7 of Creation: Surrender to Love, Justice, and Abundance
The spiritual meaning of the seventh day of creation, called the Sabbath (“rest”), is uplifted throughout scripture: biblical and others. We’re told that a true sense of inner peace comes from surrendering to the greater love within that if we work to disentangle ourselves from our obsessive attachments and distracted, lustful thinking, we find that we can surrender to an underlying clarity and peace of consciousness, which gently taps into the reality of love in our depths and around us. This Divine or Universal Love, at the root of all our minds, ultimately makes all things one and can’t help but naturally uplift and empower justice, equality, and abundance.
Day 7 of Creation: No Oneness, No Peace or Justice
Our world is staring down the barrel of a few life-as-we-know-it-ending calamities, from climate change to the rise of fascism in the hearts of many “far-right” politicians and supporters in the U.S. Demagoguery and divisive thinking are the roots of almost-unimaginable cruelty, fear, and pain in this world and indeed, in each of our hearts. And so, personally and socially we must work to uplift their opposites: a compassionate justice from a true acceptance of our interconnected oneness if we are ever to find the Sabbath and the peace that Divinity invites us toward; no matter our religion or lack thereof.
Day 6 of Creation: Strive to Find Your Divine Humanity
God continues to seek to shine more and more in our spirits so that we may receive the love, peace, and life that we all are meant to have. The parable of the creation story uplifts and seeks to empower this, using imagery found throughout the Bible and other scriptures to describe spiritual truths while inviting us toward greater love and faith. In this we’re told that God’s love, which like the sun shines on and illuminates everyone, should take root at the heart of our spirits, allowing our ideas and faith to become a guide even in the darkest of times and allowing us to find a life of abundance, diversity and peace.
Day 5 of Creation's Deeper Meaning: Loving the Interconnectivity of Life Brings Abundance
God continues to seek to shine more and more in our spirits so that we may receive the love, peace, and life that we all are meant to have. The parable of the creation story uplifts and seeks to empower this, using imagery found throughout the Bible and other scriptures to describe spiritual truths while inviting us toward greater love and faith. In this we’re told that God’s love, which like the sun shines on and illuminates everyone, should take root at the heart of our spirits, allowing our ideas and faith to become a guide even in the darkest of times and allowing us to find a life of abundance, diversity, and peace.
Day 4 of Creation: God's Love Illuminates Us All Like the Sun
God continues to seek to shine more and more in our spirits so that we may receive the love, peace, and life that we all are meant to have. The parable of the creation story uplifts and seeks to empower this, using imagery found throughout the Bible and other scriptures to describe spiritual truths while inviting us toward greater love and faith. In this we’re told that God’s love, which like the sun shines on and illuminates everyone, should take root at the heart of our spirits, allowing our ideas and faith to become a guide even in the darkest of times and allowing us to find a life of abundance, diversity and peace.
Day 3 of Creation: God Grounds Us to Allow our Divinity to Grow
Today we are being called by the depth of Divine Love to uplift each other with justice and compassion. Often, this starts with ourselves - being patient with our progress while focusing on living virtuously, with humility, and living up to all the higher ideas that should come into our daily lives. Day 3 of the creation story symbolizes this in a way: starting to ground the roots of Divine enlightenment and nourishment into our earthly thinking and embodiment.
The Deeper Meaning of Day Two of Creation: Waters Above & Below
Learn about the deeper, inner meaning of the Creation story - specifically, the second day, and how it speaks to and uplifts our spiritual growth.
The Deeper Meaning of Day One of Creation: Let There Be Light
Learn about the deeper, inner meaning of the Creation story - specifically, the first day, and how it speaks to and uplifts our spiritual growth.