AC 6706 - The Neighbor and the Lord

AC 6706

The distinguishing differences of the neighbor,
which a person of the church ought to wholly know,
in order that he may know the quality of charity,
vary in accordance with the good which is with everyone;
and as all good proceeds from the Lord,
the Lord is the neighbor in the highest sense,
and in a surpassing degree;
and from Him the neighbor originates.
From this it follows
that in proportion as anyone has of the Lord in him,
in the same proportion he is the neighbor;
and as no two persons receive the Lord
(that is, receive the good which proceeds from Him)
in the same way, therefore
no two persons are the neighbor in the same way;
for without exception
all persons in the heavens and on earth differ in good.
Precisely one and the same good
never exists in two persons;
it must vary
in order for each person to subsist by himself.
But all these varieties,
thus all the distinguishing differences of the neighbor,
which are according to the reception of the Lord,
that is, of the good proceeding from Him,
can never be known to any person,
nor even to any angel,
except in general,
thus as to their genera and some species of these.
Nor does the Lord require more
of the person of the church
than to live according to what he knows.