I called to the Lord out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice.
Jonah 2:2
Dear members and friends,
Emanuel Swedenborg loved the wonder of nature that was a caterpillar transformed into a butterfly. To him, this was a symbolic illustration by the Divine about the spiritual transformation happening within us, humans. We all are born as earthly beings bound to physical reality but destined to become angelic beings in heaven. This is such an encouraging message for us because the true purpose of our life here on earth is to work on our inner transformation, and thus there are matters to which we must pay attention. Yet, at the same time this points out the inevitable challenge of our inability to perceive the reality of the other side until we get there. For instance, even if we could speak to caterpillars, we might not be able to convince them that the beings flying freely in the air are their future forms. Their limitation may not be in imagining the possibility itself, but in accepting the butterfly as their true identity while they are still locked in their current experience and reality of being a caterpillar.
The Bible often challenges humans with a message and reality that is obviously beyond our comprehension. The purpose of such sharing, of course, is not to confuse, but to remind us that our true selves are free of this physical reality and its rules and limits. The story of Jonah is fascinating in many aspects, but especially with the part that Jonah spent three days and nights inside the belly of a big fish. According to the story, Jonah felt that he was having the experience of being in Sheol, which was believed to be where the dead would go during his time. In other words, he was dead and then came back to life. This prophetically foretold the death and resurrection of Jesus. Upon hearing such a story, many people demand proof. However, what they are actually demanding is to either be convinced of something they cannot understand, or to make the story applicable to their reality so they can understand. Yet, both demands potentially miss the real purpose of such stories that are sent by God, which is to open our minds to a higher reality and consciousness, and thus reflect on what our true selves are.
My brothers and sisters, let us take a moment of prayer this week. I do acknowledge there are many things troubling and concerning in this country and in the world in general. Yet perhaps, for a moment, we might want to spend time exploring what our true selves are about.
Blessings,
Rev. Junchol Lee