“God has brought laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me.”
Genesis 21:6
Dear members and friends,
As an 18th-century scientist and scholar, Emanuel Swedenborg wrestled deeply with many of the difficulties surrounding a purely literal reading of the Bible. He believed that Jesus Christ had called him to a special mission: to explain the spiritual meaning hidden within the Scripture through what he called “correspondences.” The concept of correspondence stands at the center of Swedenborg’s theological view. In one sense, correspondence describes the foundational relationship between the spiritual and physical worlds, or how spiritual realities are expressed through natural forms. In another sense, it describes the way Scripture itself is written, with each word and story containing a deeper spiritual meaning within the literal narrative.
According to Swedenborg, the purpose of the Bible is to lead people toward spiritual rebirth, or regeneration, which Jesus repeatedly emphasized. For this reason, God embedded deeper truths within the literal stories of the Scripture. These deeper meanings concern the process of human transformation, or the gradual turning of the heart and mind from a merely worldly focus toward a spiritual one. Within this process, Swedenborg teaches that one of the most essential human capacities is rationality. Isaac, in Swedenborg’s interpretation, symbolizes the development of the rational mind. Rationality is important not merely because it makes us more intelligent, but because it gives us the ability to examine ourselves inwardly; to discern between what is good and what is harmful, what leads us toward God and what draws us away. Through this spiritual rationality, we become capable of genuine self-examination, repentance, and renewal, and ultimately regeneration.
My sisters and brothers in God, let us take a moment of prayer followed by a deep meditation. Let us look deeply into our inner conditions. May the wisdom of God guide our discernment when we are being rational.
Blessings,
Rev. Junchol Lee