Thoughts from Bill (part I liked best is in bold):
-------- Original Message --------
Over and over again, the Heavenly Doctrines make the point that goods and truths are substantial and therefore never exist outside a subject. Translating this philosophical language, this means that goods and truths are always the goods and truths of some person.
So when SD 1026 says that "truths induce what is soft and fluid" it is referring to the effect that truths have on someone's mind or understanding.
Truths have this effect. because as we look for them and acknowledge them, we acquire multiple perspectives. This makes us aware of the incompleteness of our understanding, and opens us to being led by the Lord. Falsities, on the other hand, tend to take one perspective and make it an absolute rule.
A trivial example of this are the two proverbs:
Look before you leap. We will cross that bridge when we get to it.
Both are true. Acknowledging both as true means that we now have decide when to apply which in our lives.
If we take only one as being true, and make it an absolute rule, we make that one truth rigid and falsify it. It will be the correct choice some of the time, but not always.
Granted that if we accept both these proverbs as true, we may still make the wrong choice; but we are aware that we have a choice. Choices and dilemmas creates uncertainty and can make us humble. That leads us to seek guidance, thus it opens us to being led by the Lord.
When we accept only one as being true, we have a rule to follow, and we don't have to think. And worse, we don't have to be humble.
Quotes shown will be taken from: SD = Spiritual Diary AC = Arcana Coelestia HH = Heaven and Hell WH = The White Horse NJHD = New Jerusalem and It's Heavenly Doctrine LJ = Last Judgment EU = Earths in the Universe DLORD = Doctrine of the Lord for the New Jerusalem SS = Doctrine of the Sacred Scripture for the New Jerusalem DLIFE = Doctrine of Life for the New Jerusalem DF = Doctrine of Faith for the New Jerusalem CLJ = Continuation Concerning the Last Judgment DLW = Divine Love and Wisdom DP = Divine Providence AR = Apocalypse Revealed CL = Conjugial Love, or Married Love BE = Brief Exposition ISB = The Intercourse between the Soul and the Body TCR = True Christian Religion AE = Apocalypse Explained DivLove = Divine Love DivWis = Divine Wisdom Charity = Doctrine of Charity Marriage = De Conjugio Invitation = Invitation to the New Church Canons - Canons of the New Church
Key
These quotes are pulled from daily devotional reading. Currently, the Old and New Testaments are read through once from June 20 through Dec. 31.
Titles showing ~ are from the Old or New Testament. Titles showing ** are for seasonal readings. Titles with no signs are from the Writings which were given through the Lord's humble servant, Emanuel Swedenborg.
1 comment:
Thoughts from Bill (part I liked best is in bold):
-------- Original Message --------
Over and over again, the Heavenly Doctrines make the point that goods and truths are substantial and therefore never exist outside a subject. Translating this philosophical language, this means that goods and truths are always the goods and truths of some person.
So when SD 1026 says that "truths induce what is soft and fluid" it is referring to the effect that truths have on someone's mind or understanding.
Truths have this effect. because as we look for them and acknowledge them, we acquire multiple perspectives. This makes us aware of the incompleteness of our understanding, and opens us to being led by the Lord. Falsities, on the other hand, tend to take one perspective and make it an absolute rule.
A trivial example of this are the two proverbs:
Look before you leap.
We will cross that bridge when we get to it.
Both are true. Acknowledging both as true means that we now have decide when to apply which in our lives.
If we take only one as being true, and make it an absolute rule, we make that one truth rigid and falsify it. It will be the correct choice some of the time, but not always.
Granted that if we accept both these proverbs as true, we may still make the wrong choice; but we are aware that we have a choice. Choices and dilemmas creates uncertainty and can make us humble. That leads us to seek guidance, thus it opens us to being led by the Lord.
When we accept only one as being true, we have a rule to follow, and we don't have to think. And worse, we don't have to be humble.
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