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2 Bedford St. Bridgewater, MA 02324 (508) 697-3068 For information e-mail pastor at BridgewaterNewChurch dot org |
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2 Bedford St. Bridgewater, MA 02324 (508) 697-3068 For information e-mail pastor at BridgewaterNewChurch dot org |
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Reading from Swedenborg from Divine Love & Wisdom #30
“It is because the very divine essence is love and wisdom that we have two abilities of life, one giving us discernment, and the other giving us intentionality.”
Does God want our lives as human beings to be happy?
Yes, and the proof of this is the gift of our imperfection. We need the gift of imperfection so we can engage in the process of perfection, not attain it. The process of spiritual regeneration begins with the repentance that we feel for our sins, not our complete avoidance of speaking and acting for fear of sinning. Our regeneration continues as we work with God and are re-formed into more loving and wise persons. Life as a human being is an individual search for meaning and purpose where we will each experience our own unique mistakes so that we can learn from them.
The human condition is imperfect! This is good and this is true! Recognize this, and you are receiving the God’s wisdom into your discernment that tells you you are God’s beloved child and a member of the family of humanity. With this recognition you begin to love God, as God loves you in your imperfection! Recognize that others are imperfect and loveable too, and you are receiving God’s love into your intentions with which you begin to recognize how to wisely love your neighbor as yourself.
Human life is a group experience, we learn through our belonging in communities how to interact more lovingly and wisely with each other. As a member of humanity, we are all bound to each other in our imperfection and in our recognition of our common spiritual journey. Humanity is a plural noun, we have companions on this rough road of life with whom to enjoy the journey, to help us when we stumble, to smile at our growth, to cry with us in our pain, and to listen to us in our confusion.
As human beings we have received the gift of life from God, individually and as a species. This greatest gift, and the other gifts of being human, come with responsibilities. In our imperfection – we are responsible for finding in our hearts the forgiveness that God always offers us, for ourselves and others. In our rationality – we are responsible for seeing our falsities and faulty understandings and seeking wisdom. In our free will – we are responsible for choosing to give up our unkindnesses and to act lovingly and compassionately. These gifts guide us to obey the two greatest commandments, to love God and to love the neighbor. We are interdependent in this for we need each other to be the neighbor to be loved.
