Lessons from The Birds

In Swedenborg’s theory of correspondences—his so-called “science” for the spiritual valences of nature—birds represent intellectual and spiritual things we can perceive with our minds: truths, in other words, which can take us places.

To Care for Our Mother

Like all our mothers, the Earth has rights and obligations we should respect if we are to “honor our father and our mother,” as one of the biblical Ten Commandments instructs us to do.

What is a sanctuary?

Since 1895, through catastrophic earthquakes and world wars, periods of civil and social unrest, and the holocaust of the AIDS crisis, our church has stood as a special sanctuary, offering refuge and reflection for San Franciscans in times of need.

The Power of a King

It is such a sad irony that people created a powerful position in order to manage the nation effectively, but then the people who held such positions became drunk with power.

To Be Called by Name

In John, Mary Magdalene does not acknowledge that she is speaking to Jesus until he calls her by her name. According to the Gospels, Jesus calls only 11 people by their name.

Redemption to Transformation

Swedenborg places strong emphasis on the mission of Jesus as redemption rather than salvation. It took me a while to understand the reason for this distinction…

Is this reality?

The best way to cultivate a love that is compatible with the reality of God is to love others truly and completely. According to Jesus, this kind of love enables us to perceive and understand what the other truly needs…

To Welcome Selfless Love

The word “love” may have been used by humans since the very beginning of existence to describe a certain kind of tender emotion. However, what each person or culture means by love has never been exactly the same.

Why value humility?

There is a human belief that standing higher than others is always more desired and admired. But Jesus emphasized humility as a spiritual virtue that God loves.

Is heaven real?

There is a significant difference in believing in heaven either as a reward or as a state of being.