tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60604133011243563832024-03-14T00:12:56.096-07:00Spiritual and Biblical Interpretations of Movies. Please go to new Address - swedenborgstories.com Hello, I realize this blog was being redirected. I set up a new improved secure sight at: swedenborgstories.com. Please visit there, thank you.
I am Pastor Steve Sanchez. I hope to bring you stories and insights from my experience and studies concerning movies and events. I work as a full time chaplain and bereavement coordinator. I use music a lot in my work. I love stories of transformation. I integrate religion, psychology, science and God, the Word, and our lives. influxdivine.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14870924275514690203noreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060413301124356383.post-64678804886454728082020-03-11T22:55:00.001-07:002020-03-11T22:55:39.087-07:00Song For the Forgotten<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-wu6DUHeTNw" width="480"></iframe>influxdivine.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14870924275514690203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060413301124356383.post-17445481209791479342017-01-25T16:05:00.002-08:002017-01-25T16:05:33.469-08:00Below is a Swedenborg's Description of those who Use Ideology for the Sake of Hate and their spiritual State.<div data-contents="true">
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="angpj" data-offset-key="bgttp-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="bgttp-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="bgttp-0-0"><span data-text="true"> (The word 'remains' refers to innocence sotred in our soul from childhood that allows us to receive God).</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="angpj" data-offset-key="6l3pg-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="6l3pg-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="6l3pg-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="angpj" data-offset-key="6oigk-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="6oigk-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="6oigk-0-0"><span data-text="true">those who persuade themselves in regard to any subject,</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="angpj" data-offset-key="25fou-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="25fou-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="25fou-0-0"><span data-text="true">confirm themselves in such persuasion</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="angpj" data-offset-key="b3a5m-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="b3a5m-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="b3a5m-0-0"><span data-text="true">by everything which they imagine to be true,</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="angpj" data-offset-key="dd6as-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="dd6as-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="dd6as-0-0"><span data-text="true">even by what they find contained in the Word of the Lord;</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="angpj" data-offset-key="48m0b-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="48m0b-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="48m0b-0-0"><span data-text="true">for while they cling to principles which they have received,</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="angpj" data-offset-key="60l4v-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="60l4v-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="60l4v-0-0"><span data-text="true">and have become persuaded of,</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="angpj" data-offset-key="c8mn0-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="c8mn0-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="c8mn0-0-0"><span data-text="true">they make everything favor and assent to them.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="angpj" data-offset-key="5dalm-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="5dalm-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="5dalm-0-0"><span data-text="true">And the more anyone is under the influence of self-love,</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="angpj" data-offset-key="f0fg8-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="f0fg8-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="f0fg8-0-0"><span data-text="true">the more firmly he holds them.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="angpj" data-offset-key="ebs2o-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="ebs2o-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="ebs2o-0-0"><br data-text="true" /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="angpj" data-offset-key="17t65-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="17t65-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="17t65-0-0"><span data-text="true">When a man is of such a character</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="angpj" data-offset-key="47qau-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="47qau-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="47qau-0-0"><span data-text="true">that he immerses the truths of faith in his insane desires,</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="angpj" data-offset-key="bi9sf-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="bi9sf-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="bi9sf-0-0"><span data-text="true">he then profanes the truths,</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="angpj" data-offset-key="ajnku-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="ajnku-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="ajnku-0-0"><span data-text="true">and deprives himself of remains,</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="angpj" data-offset-key="avkf0-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="avkf0-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="avkf0-0-0"><span data-text="true">which although they remain cannot be brought forth,</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="angpj" data-offset-key="8h212-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="8h212-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="8h212-0-0"><span data-text="true">for as soon as they are brought forth</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="angpj" data-offset-key="bpjd2-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="bpjd2-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="bpjd2-0-0"><span data-text="true">they are again profaned by things that are profane</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="angpj" data-offset-key="69kc9-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="69kc9-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="69kc9-0-0"><span data-text="true">for profanations of the Word produce as it were a callosity,</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="angpj" data-offset-key="ccpk3-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="ccpk3-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="ccpk3-0-0"><span data-text="true">which causes an obstruction,</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="angpj" data-offset-key="b8mqg-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="b8mqg-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="b8mqg-0-0"><span data-text="true">and absorbs the goods and truths of remains.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="angpj" data-offset-key="51skf-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="51skf-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="51skf-0-0"><span data-text="true">Therefore let man beware</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="angpj" data-offset-key="bfjgj-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="bfjgj-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="bfjgj-0-0"><span data-text="true">of the profanation of the Word of the Lord,</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="angpj" data-offset-key="femm-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="femm-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="femm-0-0"><span data-text="true">which contains the eternal truths wherein is life,</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="angpj" data-offset-key="9bv77-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="9bv77-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="9bv77-0-0"><span data-text="true">although one who is in false principles</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="angpj" data-offset-key="6ubg3-0-0">
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="6ubg3-0-0">
<span data-offset-key="6ubg3-0-0"><span data-text="true">does not believe that they are truths.</span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
influxdivine.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14870924275514690203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060413301124356383.post-60253730300088974652015-05-04T09:12:00.003-07:002015-05-04T09:28:28.626-07:00The Great Purpose of John the Baptist
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">When we look
into the spiritual/historical purpose of John the Baptist a deep sense of God’s
wisdom emerges. When pressed by the priests John identifies himself as the
fulfillment of Isaiah 40:3: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare
the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert a highway for our God”. On an
earthly level the last sentence is a reference to the roads that were built by
the Romans through the rough terrain so that kings could travel in their royal
chariots. These roads eventually made it possible for everyone to access new
lands and connect new people and places. This is the metaphor for the purpose
of John. John was the trailblazer of the way out of darkness. He was the means
of transition between the old dying church, and the new Church to come. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">John’s whole
life seems to have been one of great focus, preparing for the brief, but
profound period before Jesus began his public ministry; and he carried out his
mission with great intensity. He became well known and was much talked about,
long lines of people came to hear him and be baptized by him. He Baptised the
people with water, and proclaimed the coming of the Messiah; and he called
people to repentance. He was like an Olympic athlete that trains for decades
for a great race that takes a short time to run – the was the original
‘spiritual athlete’. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">John’s job
was no less than to re-establish the means of conjuction between heaven and
earth. This had to be done for it is a universal principle that the internal
(heaven) must have a foundation (earth) upon which to rest, and the connection
between them is accomplished by correspondences. The use of the Jews for
correspondence had come to an end. They no longer served their purpose as the
representative people, and without a church on earth that acknowledged the Lord
there is no means for humanity to receive heavenly wisdom. The last sentences
of the Old Testament in Malachi are: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-no-proof: no;">Behold, I will send you Elijah the
prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>. And he shall turn the heart of the
fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I
come and smite the earth with a curse (Malachi 4: 5,6).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">To curse the
earth does not mean that God chooses to do this but that the people had so
seperated themselves from God that they were at the end, they were about to be
destroyed forever by evil because of their own choices. The same thing is said
in many prophets when they say phrases like, ‘the destruction to come’, the
‘day of wrath, and vengence’. It would have been over for humanity, but God
sent ‘Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day’. By
Elijah here is meant John the Baptist as the Lord himself explains in the
gospels. The reason He calls John Elijah is that they both represent the Word
as to the Lord. Turning the heart of the fathers and children refers to the
renewal of the church John’s actions will bring about. On these points
Swedenborg quotes the prohpet Zeph and writes:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: .2in; margin-right: 22.5pt; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: 16.2pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“In that day there shall be the
noise of a cry, that the great day of Jehovah is near, that that is a day of
wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, that
in the day of Jehovah's wrath the whole land shall be devoured, and that He
will make a consummation with all them that dwell in the land (Zeph. 1:7-18)”.<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From all this it is clear that
unless a way had been made ready for Jehovah when He was descending into the
world, by means of baptism, the effect of which in heaven was to close up the
hells and guard the Jews against total destruction they would all have perished.</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">John, his
actions, his preaching, his baptism, served the purpose of establishing the new
means of conjuction with heaven. Because he was the agent of this change even
the things he wore and ate had essential meanings by correspondences. Correspondences
have to be acted out <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">in reality</i>, in
the physical world, and John established baptism with water as the new means of
correspondence. His was the external baptism that prepared the people to later
receive the internal baptism of Jesus. The baptisms performed by John and the
men and women that willingly received it made it possible for angels (under the
guidance of the Lord) to be present with, and protect those willing to receive
it. Heaven and earth are distinct from each other, but they must always be
connected. As said above, earth is the foundation of heaven; and for both to
exist they must be in union, which is done by correspondences. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">It is perhaps
astounding to hear that heaven needed people to participate in correspondences
in order for the angels to have access to protecting the people from the emminent
darkness. The way correspondences work between heaven and earth could be
compared to an electrical current in a wire that must have a grounded node to
connect to; John and his actions along with those who responded to him established
the earthly node. Or it could be compared to a river that had gone dry with only
water holes left in the river bed. With no water between the holes the fish
could no longer move from one hole to another. John’s actions began to reconnected
the holes with water. The people baptized by John were the beginning of the new
Christian church, they were the people able to hear and receive Christ’s
message. Whether he did this exclusively I don’t know; it seems to me the
disciples contributed to the external baptism, but John’s was the primary
beginning.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Along with
performing baptism John called the people to repent, or change their hearts, by
which the people began to understand and believe that Christ was the Messiah and
to have more caring hearts for others. Those that heard his message, repented,
and allowed themselves to be baptized where initiated into the new church, that
is, into the community of love and charity. To acnowledge who Jesus was in
heart spiritualy brings people into his presence and protection, whereas before
they were seperarted by the darkness. This was joyous good news - for they were
emerging from a dark nightmare. On this critical time Swedenborg writes:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: 13.5pt; margin-right: 31.5pt; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The
baptism performed by John represented the cleansing of the external man; but
baptism as practised among Christians at the present time represents the
cleansing of the internal man. That is why we read that John baptised with
water, but the Lord baptises with the Holy Spirit and with fire. So too John's
baptism is called a baptism of repentance. The Jews who were baptised were
nothing but external men, and the external man cannot become internal without
faith in Christ. It may be seen in the Acts of the Apostles (19:3-6) that those
who received John's baptism became internal men, when they accepted faith in
Christ and were then baptised in the name of Jesus (AC 690).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: 13.5pt; margin-right: 31.5pt; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">John's
baptism prepared the heavens so that the Jewish people could continue, when God
Himself came among them…They were prepared by being enrolled in heaven and
counted among those who at heart waited and longed for the Messiah, as the
result of which angels were sent to become their protectors” (TCR 691).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: 13.5pt; margin-right: 31.5pt; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-right: 9.0pt; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">All of this
shows how great was the role of John, and how real the historical danger was
for the Jews. The separation between the Jews (and humanity in general) and God
and his Word had grown too far. There are examples of this from the past, for
instance the unrepentent people of Ekron, Bethshemesh merely looked upon the
Ark of the covenant – and were ‘cursed’ perishing on the spot. (The Ark
represents the power of the Word). Uzzah also died when he touched the Ark. The
Jews at the time of Jesus were no longer protected by being the vastated
representative people, so the same would have happened to the religious leaders,
and many of the people, and eventually the whole planet if it were not for the
urgent and merciful actions of John the Baptist to establish a new connection
that brought them the protection of heaven. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -4.5pt; margin-right: 9.0pt; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">To understand
the significance of John’s role further we will now examine some of the
specific correspondences in John’s appearance and story.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
influxdivine.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14870924275514690203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060413301124356383.post-64635265623025480212015-05-01T02:13:00.001-07:002015-05-01T02:13:22.996-07:00Confession of and Working with Loneliness
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-no-proof: no;">It is amazing to observe what happens when I
feel loneliness. I go out enough and do things, but I also stay in, and at
least try to do my creative things. Sometimes I get tired and overwhelmed and
just feel alone, but still the loneliness is not empty. I pick up the guitar
and start playing something and a lot of passion comes out, and I create new
music and words, or play songs I learn and enjoy it. With this comes a desire
to share, and I imagine sharing as I jam it out, and then I try to develop it
into a song.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-no-proof: no;"> Or when I
write, sometimes it is hard and I just don't have the mental energy, and I just
have to relax and watch TV or be sexual. But when I engage my writing it
carries its own thread; there is a strong sense the material is connected to
the heavens. I don't say that to be grandiose, I think it is the nature of the
Word. It all has to do with the Word and searching out essential things about
it and communicating them to an audience. I feel compelled that I need to do
this; it’s a good thing. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-no-proof: no;"> Basically I
am seeing, (which is also true of anxiety), that inside the loneliness there
are many colors and messages to be found and mined. There is a richness in
searching the feelings of it, but also important to seek out others.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-no-proof: no;">
When I want to share in the moment I think of sharing with someone I know,
because we can work in harmony on music and I know she has an inner
understanding of the Word, and could relate to what I feel. She can help me,
and share with me toward my goals, and I desire to help her with hers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-no-proof: no;">
I still think of sharing with another woman too, mostly because you know the
most about me, and the other is not 'mine' to presume on. I am sharing this
because of the psychological struggle to deal with loneliness. I can spend time
in the richness of my inner life, but then want to share the value of what I
discover, and there is no one there, and I am back to loneliness. Its Ok, I
keep trying.</span></div>
influxdivine.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14870924275514690203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060413301124356383.post-61901520035334970002015-04-27T18:50:00.000-07:002015-04-27T18:50:03.511-07:00Part Two: Possession and Exorcism in Scripture and History Before and In the Time of Jesus
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<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
There were many other practices of a magical
and malevalant character that were based on using the power of evil spirits,
gods, or the power of the sender themselves. The purpose of these practices were
usually to curse others, or to protect oneself from a curse. A common example
of this throughout the mediterranean world is the practice of “the evil eye”.
The gesture of pointing with the finger and staring was regarded as maleficent
(Ogden p. 212). Below are a few examples of the evil eye from Biblical,
apocryphal, and historical sources:</div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: 13.5pt; margin-right: 27.0pt; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Do not eat the bread of one having the evil eye, do
not desire their delicacies; for like a hair in the throat, so are they. “Eat
and drink!” they say to you; but they do not mean it. You will vomit up the
little you have eaten, and you will waste your pleasant words (Proverbs
23:6-8). </span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: 13.5pt; margin-right: 27.0pt; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Remember that an evil eye is a bad thing. What has
been created more evil than the eye? Therefore it sheds tears from every face (Sirach
31:12-13).</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: 13.5pt; margin-right: 27.0pt; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">When one looks at what is excellent with an envious
eye he fills the surrounding atmosphere with a pernicious quality, and
transmits his own envenomed exhalations into whatever is nearest to him
(Heliodorus (3<sup>rd</sup> c.) Thea.i.140).</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: 13.5pt; margin-right: 27.0pt; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Self-bewitchment is most frequently brought about by
the streams of particles reflected from sheets of water or other mirror-like
surfaces; these reflections rise like vapor and return to the beholder, so that
he is injured by the same means by which he has been injuring others (Plutarch,
Quaest. Conv. 682F).</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
Magic was not employed secretly by
individuals (as we would tend to imagine today), but was publicly used by
tribal leaders, kinship families, and kings in official activities for the
purpose of destroying others. Kings of Isreal made public displays of
divination, such as endowing magic powers to their arrows and shooting them
toward the enemy in order to curse them. Public curses were also solemnly
uttered against enemies before battles. These were believed to possess great
power. Local and larger gods were invoked for this purpose, but it was also
believed that individuals possessed the power to curse. David and Goliath
cursed each other before battle. The ultimate curse was called the herem. It
was a vow of total destruction on the enemy and everything he possessed, with
the malicious intent of leaving no spoil. </div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
These practices and many others paint a
dark picture of the spiritual state of the time. The stifling, growing presence
of evil in the historical and New Testament times corresponds to, and is a real
manifestation of the terrible imbalance occurring in the spiritual world. All
historians describe the strange nature and preponderance of evil spirits before
the time of Christ, but do not address the cause of it. The long decline in the
religion of humanity, the over accumulation of hereditary evil, and the
resulting imbalance is the cause. In this imbalance evil spirits were able to
wreck havoc and possess people in a way that is not normally allowed by the
Lord’s divine order. There was a cruelty in the society that was commonplace. </div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
Lets examine the nature and origin of these
evil spirits as Swedenborg describes them in the spiritual world. The worst of
these are called the genii, also known as naphelim, and anakim:</div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: 13.5pt; margin-right: 27.0pt; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Those before the Flood who perished are in a certain
hell beneath the heel of the left foot. Shutting them in is a rock enveloped in
mist which is a projection of their dreadful delusions and persuasions, and by
which they are segregated from all other hells and kept apart from the world of
spirits. They are continually pressing to come up out of there but can never
get beyond the attempt to do so. For they are such that if they were to enter
the world of spirits with their dreadful delusions and with the choking and
toxic effects of their persuasions, they would deprive every spirit they met,
apart from good ones, of his ability to think. And if the Lord by His Coming in
the flesh had not freed the world of spirits of that abominable crew the human
race would have perished (AC 1266).</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: 13.5pt; margin-right: 27.0pt; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
He further describes his personal
experience of the genii while being protected by the Lord and His angels:</div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: 13.5pt; margin-right: 27.0pt; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Presently some were let out of that hell; but the
Lord made such a disposition by means of intermediate spirits and angels that
they could do me no harm.</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: 13.5pt; margin-right: 27.0pt; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Their persuasions are of such a nature that they
extinguish all truth and good, so that those into whom they flow can perceive
nothing whatever, and after that cannot think; and therefore the other spirits
were removed. When they began to flow in I fell asleep. Then while I slept they
flowed in by means of cupidities, and this with such violence that if awake I
could not have resisted them. In my sleep I was sensible of the vehemence of
it, which I cannot describe, save that I afterwards remembered that they tried
to kill me by a suffocating afflatus, which was like a terrible nightmare. (AC
1270).</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: 13.5pt; margin-right: 27.0pt; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
One can imagine the havoc these spirits
cuased when given free riegn during the imbalance. This is why there was such a
paranoia and obsession amongst the people to rotect themselves against spirits
and the dead. In the present day possession is not allowed as it was back then.
In normal times it is a law of the Lord’s divine order that spirits cannot
compel people on earth to their will, which means they are not allowed to
possess. But this law was superceeded during the imbalance. It was an awful
situation to live in, but the people grew up in it and were used to it, and
didn’t know the difference. </div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -9.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: 13.5pt;">
We get a pictue of a practitioner of
magical arts that was common in the streets of the city in the book of acts
with a man called Simon.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 9.0pt; margin-right: 22.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-no-proof: no;">For unclean spirits, crying with
loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with
palsies, and that were lame, were healed. <sup> </sup>And there was great
joy in that city. <sup> </sup>But there was a certain man, called Simon,
which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of
Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: To whom they all gave
heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of
God. And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched
them with sorceries.<sup> </sup>But when they believed Philip preaching
the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they
were baptized, both men and women.<sup> </sup>Then Simon himself believed
also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered,
beholding the miracles and signs which were done.</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -9.0pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: 13.5pt;">
Simon is an example of the many magical
practitioners that practiced among the people, but apearantly he was one of the
better ones. He demonstrates the false leadership the people were seduced by,
particularly in that they thought his power came from God. The episode gives
the impression of a strange passivity the people operated under, which I think
is a function of the imbalance and resulting partial loss of freedom. In this
state there is a kind of niavita which I think results from being compelled by
evil as I described above. This scripture also demonstrates how easily the
people would have profaned in that it shows how inclined they were to magical
arts. Simon himself changes his mind very easily (though perhaps not very
deeply) when he sees the real work of Philip and Peter – implying he was run by
evil spirits like a puppet. He reminds me of the Wizard of OZ in that he is
dealing in deception and playing with evil, but he is not all bad in his heart.
When Peter shows up a moment later on the scene he deals with Simon with great
power and love. Simon sees Peter’s ability to heal the people of evil spirits,
and Simon proposes to pay Peter that he might have these powers. He rejects
this and assesses him severely and accurately, ‘your heart is not right with
God…I see you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by inequity’. Yet Peter does
not give up on him, but asks him to repent and pray, and there seems to hope
that Smon will come around.</div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
In daily life the people lived normal
lives, receiving satisfaction and pleasure from their work, the enjoyment of
nature, relationships, business, and regular activities. But it was a time of
true apocalypse. The whole earth would have been gradually consumed in
darkness, and heaven too, if the Lord had not come. This was not the first time
that the universal church of humanity had come to an end, (another was the time
of the flood and Noah). How all the universe changed after the coming of the
Lord is a subject of great significance, and it will be described in part in a
section below.</div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
Realizing why the Lord came, and the
darkness He faced, gives the observer of history and the Bible, key insight
into the life of Jesus. To understand redemption, we must understand what we
were redeemed from. Otherwise it is not possible to fully understand the mighty
work that Jesus acccomplished from his own power.</div>
influxdivine.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14870924275514690203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060413301124356383.post-54709061298113710812015-04-24T08:55:00.000-07:002015-04-24T08:55:12.565-07:00Part one: Possession and Exorcism in Scripture and History In Times of Jesus
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">To see the
darkness Jesus faced gives the observer of history and the Bible, key insight
into the life of Jesus. To understand redemption, we must understand what we
were redeemed from. Otherwise it is not possible to fully understand the mighty
work that Jesus acccomplished from his own power.</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Matthew
gives us a good picture of the dire darkness on the Land and how Jesus and the
disciples work diligently against this tide to bring hope.</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: 13.5pt; margin-right: 27.0pt; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">As
they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed. And
when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes marveled,
saying, “It was never seen like this in Israel!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: 13.5pt; margin-right: 27.0pt; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">But
the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: 13.5pt; margin-right: 27.0pt; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Then
Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues,
preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every
disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with
compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having
no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful,
but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out
laborers into His harvest.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: 13.5pt; margin-right: 27.0pt; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">And
when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean
spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of
disease (Matthew 9:32 - 10:1).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: 13.5pt; margin-right: 27.0pt; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">In each of
the gospels it is told several times of people being de-possessed, and in
general it is told that Jesus and his disciples healed multitudes of the sick
and demon possessed. We learn a lot from observing the nature of these
encounters. They give us a window to see how Jesus subjugated evil spirits not
only on earth, but in the spiritual world. In each encounter the evil spirits
recognize the divine power in Jesus and beg for mercy. There are profound
principles at work here that have to do with the very purpose that the Lord
suffered himself to be born on earth. In order to battle with an enemy a person
must be with them in close quarters, hand to hand, or sword to sword, so to
speak, and so it was with the Lord. God in his essence could not come into the
presence of people, spirits, or angels, because the divine fire of his love and
truth would instantly destroy anyone, just as it would destroy a man to come
too close to the sun. Humans were further separated from God and heaven because
the accumulation of evil caused a dark cloud between heaven and earth. The dark
cloud was due to the overabundance of evil spirits in the spiritual world that
resulted in an interference of influx to the earth. These evil spirits built
false heavens that grew bigger and bigger. God suffered Himself to be born on
earth <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">for in this way He could be
accessible to humantiy without doing harm</i>. By being born on earth Jesus had
access to evil forces, and evil forces had access to him. Jesus had access to
them because He was born from a human mother, and anyone born on this earth has
hereditary evil passed on to them; we recieve hereditray evil from the body of
the mother, and from the soul of the father. Since Jesus soul was from God, and
therefore divine, He did not receive evil from the father, only from the
mother. Because he possessed hereditary evil in his body Jesus could be tempted
and attacked by evil spirits. God in his purity cannot be tempted. Swedenborg
informs us that Jesus was doing the work of putting evil spirits back into
their place in the spiritual world on a large scale. He tells how on sight
hundreds of evil spirits who had made a siege on heaven would run and seek
refuge in caves. The light from Jesus was like scalding water to them; the
atmosphere of love from him caused them to not be able to breath as if they
were in a vacuum. </span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">For
instance, in the Gosples even the Pharisees accept that Jesus removed evil
spirits, for that was the recognized common mode of healing; they tried to
discredit Him by saying he removed demons ‘by the ruler of demons’, further
indicating the dominance of evil in their lives. Because of their lust for
power the spiritual leaders led the people deeper into blindness for their
deepest desire was to maintain their power; they wanted to kill the light in
Jesus. The common people saw Jesus differently; they marveled that “it was
never seen like this in Israel”. In reality the miracles of Jesus were pure and
wondrous, and done with a deep, tender love.</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">It is
frequently told in the Bible that Jesus, and His disciples after Him, performed
exorcism, and depossesed people, which is to say they removed evil spirits. It
is even more often told that they healed the sick. People in these times were
going about their normal lives, performing their work, trying to better the
lives of their family, but the darkness was a dominant factor in their life. It
effected their daily lives in almost every way. Biblical historians inform us
that there were exorcist and healers on city block corners as common as barber
shops doing business, apparently some were sincere, and some worked dark magic
for their clients. </span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Healing the
sick has more or less the same meaning as removing evil spirits, which the
above scripture indicates. The Jewish people (and all the peoples around them)
believed that illness, madness, disease, and even misfortune, were caused by
evil spirits influencing, or possessing the victim, and consequently that
healing was achieved by removing the evil spirits. This practice was held by
all the different people’s in the mediternean, and beyond, at the time.
Referring to the Jewish people Ogden writes: “They referred the cause of
various pathological conditions, especially madness, leprosy, and plague, to
‘evil spirits’ who smote the sufferer, or entered his body. Other diseases, no
doubt, were attributed to demonic animals, such as the seraphim, or flies” (Ogden,
p.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>).</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">In ‘The
History of Civilizaton’, C.K. Ogden describes how all the various peoples in
the mediteranean had similar beliefs about supernatural influences, including
the Jewish people. The ancient Arabs believed supernatural, mostly evil
creatures called Jinns were present everywhere, and caused rustlings and
disturbances along their travels. Jinn’s especially haunted abandoned villages
where people had lived and died. Wherever they settled for the night Arab
travelers made a sacrifice to the Jinn, for they feared the Jinn would avenge
themselves upon them in a terrible way (possession, disease, plague). Islam in
general had similar beliefs. They believed that demons would take their abode
in wild beasts, especially birds of prey, serpents, lizards, and scorpions.
Many of these influences are still alive to day, for instance when an Arab
passes a ruin he will stuff his nose to prevent Jinn’s from entering his body.
Or when imposing whirlwinds pass the desert it is believed Jinns threaten. The
Bedouins believed in the existence of flying serpants, very similar to the
Jewish seraphim. The great historian of antiquity, Josephus, tells the story
that Herodotus is said to have found the bones of a seraphim in Egypt. Another
fable tells of a seraphim like serpant that is used as one of the grim
ingredients for scorceror’s magic, the intent of which was to raise the dead
(Ogden, p.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>).</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: -9.0pt; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Ogden describes the dreadful fear of the Seraphim by the Isrealites,
and the magical means used to combat them: </span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: -9.0pt; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: 13.5pt; margin-right: 27.0pt; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">We
find wholly similar ideas and practices among the Isrealites…The Isrealites
believed that caravans crossing the desert were attacked by formidable winged
serpents called seraphim. The only way to escape their fatal bite was to make a
bronze image of them, which had the double virture of magic control over them
and of a means of appeasing them (2 Kings 18: 4). These hybrid creatures were
certianly not ordinary animals, for according to Isrealite belief they were the
seraphim that proclaimed Jaweh’s glory in the Temple; they always retained
something of their animal nature, being naked and winged (Ogden 239).</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: 13.5pt; margin-right: 27.0pt; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The
Jews also believed the deserts were occupied by demons. They came to call Sodom
and Gammorah the valley of demons. They felt anyone that dwelled among ruins
was a despiser of invisible powers (Job 15:28). The Isrealites, like their
neighbors, were in the habit of offering<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>sacrifices to appease gods and demons, especially when they needed to
inhabit a place for any length of time. </span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: 13.5pt; margin-right: 27.0pt; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">In regard to
the dead and demons one of the distinguishing qualities of the Isrealites are
their sanctity and purity laws. There were many rules to be obeyed if a person
touched the dead, or even if one was in the presence of the dead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although some of these rules were motivated by
religious considerations, the real basis of them was the fear of demons and the
dead. For instance it was unclean to be in a cemetery without proper rituals
before and after. It was imperative that a dead person be buried within a day.
The obsession over this had two main motivations: one, it was feared the dead
person would not be able to enter Sheol, but would be condemned to be a
homeless wanderer; and two, the living were terrified the unhappy dead would
bring havoc upon them. When it was necessary to touch the dead, the person who
did so would have to be ritualistically cleansed. The consequences of
uncleanliness were dreadful; it meant a person took on unwanted spirits and
demons, which amounts to loss of identity, even the loss of their soul. According
to the belief, the people were powerless to escape these consequences. The
washing of hands before meals, sacred rituals, and other activities was a
frequent daily practice or all the people in the Mediterranean. Spiritualy all
this is the consequence of the cosmic imbalance toward evil.</span></div>
influxdivine.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14870924275514690203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060413301124356383.post-84823570119639429572015-04-23T01:51:00.001-07:002015-04-23T01:53:32.323-07:00How it is that there is both a Duality and Oneness in life<style>
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<br />
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">I think it is useful to conceive
how the universe has both the quality of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">duality</i>
and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">oneness</i> at the same time. I view
it in this way: it is implicit that there is a duality between heaven and hell,
body and spirit, earth and sky, male and female, but this duality is contained
in an overarching oneness. The overarching oneness can be defined in this way;
The Lord is the one source of life and is love itself. Even though heaven and
hell are opposing forces, there is still oneness, because in the higher sense heaven
is life, and hell is anti-life, or spiritual death. That is different than each
having its own source; if that were the case it would be a true duality. But
the Lord is the only source of life, for heaven and hell; hell is an inversion
of his life; hell’s reception of his life is in a perverse form. The duality is
real, but it’s effects only manifest on the natural plane. In the natural plane
it is possible to be in emotional/spiritual duplicity, but on the spiritual
realm of heaven and hell everyone has a singular love, whether it be love or
hate for the Lord. Either way everything that exists is defined by the quality
of its relationship to the One – the Lord. </span></div>
influxdivine.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14870924275514690203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060413301124356383.post-44936710547060288212015-04-15T09:48:00.002-07:002015-04-15T11:24:46.870-07:00Interpretation of the Movie Interstellar - Themes Of Great Height<style>
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<br />
<div style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I
think interstellar is spiritual, metaphysical, scientific, and has some
Biblical themes. It never really mentions God, but has, I believe, a few
distinct Biblical themes. The main one is that the lead character and his
daughter are called the 'bridge' that brings the knowledge across worlds by
means of love that saves the world - that is a pretty strong Christ allegory.
In the Bible this is called the Logos, that which makes God accessible to
humanity; the logos is one with the divine human - Jesus. The logos brings the
love and understanding of God, it brings knowledge of heavenly things to earth,
which was otherwise completely lost. Bringing intelligence, and the right
information into the unknown is extremely important in Interstellar. At great
peril Cooper and Tars, the intelligent robot, bring love and intelligence into
the black hole. In a spiritual and metaphysical way it is emphasized that love
is the force that will guide them to the answer. When cooper and tars travel
into the wormhole Cooper ends up in the presence of his young daughter from the
past whom he has been yearning to return to the whole time. By way of science
the story says that the quality of one's love leads them to the place they
belong in the spiritual world.</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">It
is also Biblical that Cooper, his daughter Murph, and the Hathaway character,
Brand, are the 'brokenhearted'. They are racked with grief from personal loss,
but submit to the higher need of humanity. Without clear cognitive
communication or assurance they are led by a higher power (superior aliens
simply called 'they') that guides them to saving the world through a wormhole.
This is much the way it is with faith and God in life. We must trust that God
has a purpose in spite of the pain and grief we suffer. What also makes this
Biblical is the truth from scripture that the 'Shepard will seek and save the
one as much as the many'. In the movie the significance of the human drive to
do what is right for the whole of humanity is demonstrated, but also the
significance of the love of one person is held high as having universal
repercussions. In addition, in the end their 'tears are wiped away' when they
are saved at the end (it is implied the Brand is saved by love with Cooper).</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Swedenborg's
principle that love is a container gives a lot of insight to the movie too. He
says that contained in love is all the particulars of wisdom that serve that
love toward its end use. This is what happens in the movie, the intense love of
the main character and his daughter leads them to the information to be the
bridge. Tars supplies the data from inside the black hole, transmits it to
Cooper, and cooper taps it to Murph who must have the intelligence to receive
and interpret the morse code. She struggles with her deep personal pain and
bitterness, yet she has the inner drive and love to overcome all the obstacles
to understanding, receive, and complete the task. She and her father
communicate between, what is called in the movie, the 3rd and 5th dimension.
Cooper accomplishes this by taping on the gravity stream that moves the second
hand on the watch he gave to her before he left. Allegorically this can be
taken as representing the communication that takes place between the natural
and spiritual world by what is known as correspondences (See the article in
this blog on correspondences). The intense love and admiration between father
and daughter carried within it the knowledge and wisdom to accomplish the deed
that brought both personal redemption, and the redeeming of humanity on earth.
In the end we see the new society built in an enormous space structure that was
made possible from the information received from inside the black hole. It is
shown that Murph puts together the equation of the great scientist, brands
father, and the information from the black hole. She is revered as a sort of
savior in the new society.</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">The
movie is remarkable in that it realistically shows the tremendous tole put on
human emotion by space travel. This is shown in many ways but most effectively
when the Mat Damon character awakens from long term sleep, sees he is with
people, and instantly cries convulsively on Cooper's shoulder. He says later
how hard it is to go without human touch and presence. This underscores the
importance of love and affection, and also represents the universal truth that
love and wisdom can be expressed only through a body. The Damon character also
demonstrates how the human soul can be broken from lack of love, and seeking
only self interest, not the interestn of the whole. He turns out to have some
kind of space psychosis. He sets up a bomb in a robot and kills one scientist,
and almost kills cooper also.</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">The
biggest weakness of the movie is the way it depicts a pessimistic view of
earth's future; this is not consistent with our current scientific trajectory,
or with a spiritual view of earth. For a scientific movie, the explanation of
how earth is losing oxygen has little realistic foundation. It also makes no
sense how poorly prepared people are for the recurring dust storms and loss of
atmosphere. Perhaps they are trying to make an environmental point with this;
but mostly it seems, it is essential to the plot line that the world is ending,
and dust is the vehicle that reveals the gravity anomaly.</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Brand
makes an important speech in the movie when they have lost all other options
and are deciding on one of two planets to go to. In spite of her scientific
mind she speaks of love as the transcendent force in nature that will bring the
answer. In light of this speech and the events of the movie it will bring great
meaning to the movie to reveal a cosmic correspondence that Swedenborg affirms
as a truth from the spiritual world: The force of gravity in the physical world
corresponds to the force of love in the spiritual world. In the physical world
we are subject to time and space, but in the spiritual world there is no time
and space, but all is based on ones state of being, or the ruling love on ones
soul. In the physical world any body with mass attracts to it other bodies by
the force of gravity. In the spiritual world every person gravitates to the
society they belong by the like quality of love in that society. Love attracts
and holds a person (spirit or angel) in the sphere of that society where they
are in great happiness and use to each other.</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">
There are two other remarkable scenes that emphasize the power of love and how
it is expressed through the human body and most importantly that it is the
nature of the universe ultimately to serve embodied love . When cooper is in
the black hole he realizes and expresses that the 'they' is himself, and that
his desire and presence created the structure in the black hole to accommodate
his human form to communicate to his daughter. Since love is the internal
correspondent of gravity, gravity folded space so that he can be in the
presence of his daughter from the past. The subtext in this scenario is that
God or the supreme power is providentially creating and guiding them to this
point. Formerly this supreme power was expressed as 'they', and now it is scene
that 'they' is within him. The second scene that emphasizes this has two parts;
Earlier in the movie a presence reaches out to brand and she identifies it as
'they' spiritually reaching out to her; and she, with great wonder and passion,
shakes its hand. Later as Cooper is moving through wondrous lights out of the
black hole he sees Brand in a spiritual way and holds her hand with love and
care. These two moments are one in space folded. Another principle this is
showing is that love is pre-conscience, yet it is the true formative power of
our life and seat of our being. In spiritual psychology this means that our
internal self determines our true state, but we are most often unaware of it;
also that God knows our true state of love better than we do. For instance,
Cooper's love for brand is awakened in the black hole experience when he
touches Brand's hand, but he only fully becomes aware of this consuming love at
the end when his daughter tells him to go to her.</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">
When cooper is behind the bookcase in the black whole he can not directly
communicate with his daughter. This is a depiction, or allegory, of how it is
between the spiritual and natural world. The spiritual world exists in us in a
very internal way, but not in the external except by correspondences. Put in a
linear way, there is a discreet degree between these worlds that cannot be
crossed bodily or physically, but affection from our soul in the body can be
felt. This truth is depicted in the movie by Cooper being, called Murph's 'ghost'.
Affection or love is the bridge between the physical and spiritual world. The
internal state of affection is pre-conscience until our desire and circumstance
(God's providence) bring us to the point of integration where our real state of
love becomes an awareness, - and this is a very spiritual thing that inherently
includes an acknowledgement of God. It is a universal principle of spiritual
psychology that all thought is preceded by affection, and that the influx of
love and wisdom that created and sustains the universe comes from God.</span></div>
influxdivine.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14870924275514690203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060413301124356383.post-46990749044675355602015-04-13T17:18:00.004-07:002015-04-13T17:43:40.553-07:00The Beautiful, Universal Concept of Reality - Equilibrium - How it is Key in Understanding the Bible<br />
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: 13.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Therefore my people have gone into captivity,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: 13.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Because they have no knowledge;</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Their honorable men are famished,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: 13.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">And their multitude dried up with thirst.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: 13.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Therefore Sheol has enlarged itself</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> And opened its mouth
beyond measure; (Isaiah 5: 13,14).</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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Equilibrium is a term that applies to all
life; in order for anything to exist it must be in equilibrium - from the Sun to an atom. <span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">
In the sun there is a raging balance between the explosive power of
nuclear fusion inside, and the massive force of gravity pressing in. In
atom the orbits of the electrons spinning around the nucleus form an
equilibrium. The
human body and every organ in it has a certain equilibrium between the
inside
forces of blood pressure and muscle tension, and the outside forces of
gravity
and atmospheric pressure. A leaf on a tree has equilibrium in a similar
way.
Anything we might look at is in a state of equilibrium, a chair, a light
bulb,
a cell, a fiber, anything, because they have a form, and substance
inside it.
The equations of Newton and Einstein work within equilibrium.
Eco-systems are based on equilibrium. The state of
equilibrium can always change, for instance if a bottle is broken, but
its
pieces settle into another state of equilibrium. </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Equilibrium is also fundamental to the structure of the universe. Swedenborg writes:</span><br />
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For any thing to have existence
there must be an equilibrium of all things. Without equilibrium there is no
action and reaction; for equilibrium is between two forces, one acting and the
other reacting, and the state of rest resulting from like action and reaction
is called equilibrium. In the natural world there is an equilibrium in all
things and in each thing. It exists in a general way even in the atmosphere,
wherein the lower parts react and resist in proportion as the higher parts act
and press down. Again, in the natural world there is an equilibrium between
heat and cold, between light and shade, and between dryness and moisture, the
middle condition being the equilibrium. There is also an equilibrium in all the
subjects of the three kingdoms of nature, the mineral, the vegetable, and the
animal; for without equilibrium in them nothing can come forth and have
permanent existence (Heaven and Hell, 589).</div>
<br />
<br />
On a cosmic level, the Lord
maintains equilibrium between heaven and hell and governs both by his might
alone. A single man or woman fighting against the forces of evil on his own is
like a fly against a giant; there is no chance without the Lord. Before the
Lord was born there was an accumulating darkness. As people died and entered
the spiritual world, even if they were good, evil spirits intercepted them by
artful deceptions and led them into their false heaven. These suedo-heavens
were in the spiritual world which is between heaven and hell. Once evil began
to tip the tables in their favor, their power increased and increased. The
over accumulation of spirits (people) in hell, and in this suedo-heaven
eventually caused a dark cloud between heaven and earth that greatly blocked
the reception of heavenly influx to humanity. This is what is meant by “Sheol
has enlarged itself and opened its mouth beyond measure”. Here is another verse
that refers to the loss of equilibrium between heaven and hell:</div>
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<span class="text"><sup><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></sup></span><span class="text"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For
we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual
wickedness in high <i>places (John 6:12)</i>.</span></span></div>
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This verse refers to evil forces
infultrading and occupying heaven; ‘high places’ meaning heaven. They were like
a murrading army ransacking the first levels of heaven, taking residence, and
deceiving the people in a thousand horrid ways. Matthew describes this when he
says “<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And from the days
of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the
violent take it by force” (Mat. 11:12).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span>The
power of evil was overwhelming heaven. When this happens a measure of freedom
is lost. Freedom on earth exists at the pinnacle of the balance between heaven
and hell. When equilibrium is lost so is freedom. Under normal circumstances
neither the angels of heaven nor the demons of hell can compel human beings one
way or the other, but both can influence within the laws of freedom. During
life it is up to each person to will and choose their way as they are exposed
to the influences of heaven and hell. Thus freedom is the very means of
salvation, and it is also the cause of hell. It is the cause of hell because
freedom of will is total and complete; the consequences are real, otherwise
freedom would not be real, and life would not be real. The structure of the
whole universe is based on this equilibrium between heaven and hell. The Lord
maintains equilibrium, subjugating evil and keeping heaven in divine order with
His omnipotent power for the sake of human freedom. Understanding this is a
profound key to understanding the nature of the universe, history, and the
Bible. If Jesus had not come and reversed the process, the over-abundance of
evil would have progressed until humanity was consumed in total darkness. </div>
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A similar loss of equilibrium took place at
the time of Noah. The story of Noah describes how the whole earth was becoming
wicked, that is, the over-accumulation of evil was on the verge destroying the
entire human race. The Lord solved the problem by wiping out the wicked with a
flood, and using Noah and his family as the seed of the new human race. He
started over with Noah and his family, and the pairs of animals. This process
of renewing from a remnant is called ‘remains’ in the Bible. Noah, his family
and the pairs of animals were the remains from which the Lord started a new
church with true charity in it. On an individual level the word ‘remains’
refers to the innocence from love stored on a person’s soul from childhood from
which the Lord works to regenerate the whole person. So the collective sense it
refers to the few left in a society who still possess true charity in their
heart by which the Lord can establish a new church. After the Lord destroyed
the people at the time of Noah the Lord promised he would never destroy people
wholesale ever again, so when the loss of equilibrium took place again at the
end of the representative Jewish church, the Lord chose to be born on earth in
order to redeem humanity and put all things back into order.</div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
It is often asked, why did the Lord choose
or need to be born on earth? I believe the answer can be approached from
understanding how essential freedom is to salvation. God in his essence cannot
approach a person or angel without destroying them. As the scripture says, no
man can look upon God and live. It is like a person approaching the sun, the
pure love of the Lord would destroy them. In the soul and the body of every
human being there is hereditary evil, and this evil shrivels and burns in the
presence of the pure good and love of the Lord. This is why in the Bible every
time the glorified presence of Jesus appears those around make themselves
postrate to him. By being born on earth Jesus became ‘the bridge’. He made God
accessible to humanity. If instead God had waved his hand and made earth a
paradise it would mean nothing, because in that case people would have done
nothing from their own will. A bond only forms reciprocally. The Lord himself
operated within the laws of freedom during his life on earth so that people
could ‘become’ from themselves in a reciprocal way. </div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
An important scripture which speaks to the
inevitable of equilibrium in the universe and our place in it - is this: “<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Woe unto the world because of
offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">woe</span> <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">to</span> that man by
whom the offence cometh!” Freedom speaks to the essence of being human, yet
from freedom it is inevitale that there will be evil, because their are
consequences to freedom. In equilibrium, in the battle between good and evil,
is the only way life can exist! There must be contrast and variety for there to
be life, growth, and perception. From the nature of the Lord there is infinite
variety and divine order, therefore there is continual contrast and meaning in
life. If everything were monotone as in a white-out or black-out, there would be
no perception or individual identity. Nevertheless, this philosophical truth does
not take away from the terrible consequences of evil choices in life. This is
what is meant by, ‘woe to that man by whom the offence cometh’. In the battle
between good in evil it is paramount that we favor the good in our heart,
whether it bears fruit or not - we must still try.</span></div>
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influxdivine.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14870924275514690203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060413301124356383.post-90333300869960518392015-04-11T14:52:00.000-07:002015-04-11T14:52:10.207-07:00Short Bio of Emanueal Swedenborg and a Sample Quote from him
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I sometimes refer to Swedenborg in this blog. Many of you may not of heard of him, so I offer this brief description of him. His Biography is very unique and fascinating in history. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The mission
of Swedenborg’s life was to reveal the inner sense of the Word and the secrets
of heaven. He writes from a perspective that is unique in history. He proclaims
his source to be the wisdom of heaven, and that he was granted by the Lord to
communicate with the angels of heaven. Because of this, his history of mankind
and God (the divine human) is from a first hand experience of heaven and its
teachings - that is unique! He provides a cosmic view of the progress and
decline of mankind and religion from the beginning of time till the second
coming. His writing is intensely spiritual in that it reveals the essential
cause of things. He maintains a tone of authority and integrity, and is not
dogmatic; - he continually appeals to the reason of the reader. And he does so
because he knows people are meant to form their beliefs in freedom.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Swedenborg
didn’t just have an experience of the light; he entered the mansion (heaven)
and empirically tells of its wonders; he illucidates the principles of heaven
and the Word in an ordered series designed for gradual reception in our hearts
and minds. These principles are based on his innumerable encounters with
angels, spirits and demons over 30 years. He emphasizes that all of his
encounters with angels, spirits, or demons are under the auspices of the Lord’s
guidance. His books on theology and metaphysics come to more than thirty
volumes; and there is a seemless depth of coherency in all of his writing. The
writing is rigorous and dense, but as one gets to know it there is a sense of
wonder and passion, albeit a composed passion. In his writing there is not a
hint of literary vanity; he purely seeks to impart the wisdom of heaven and the
Word in the most efficient way he can. To that end he organized the material
with his own unique built-in reference system.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Here is a
quote from Swedenborg describing the situation at the time of the Lord’s
incarnation, and the cause of it:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">At
the time of the Lord's first coming the hells had increased to such a height as
to fill the whole world of spirits, which is intermediate between heaven and
hell, and thus had not only thrown into disorder the heaven that is called the
lowest, but also had attacked the middle heaven, which they infested in a
thousand ways, and which would have gone to destruction if it had not been
upheld by the Lord. Such an uprising of the hells is meant by the tower built
in the land of Shinar, the head of which was to reach to heaven. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The
hells had increased to such a height because at the time when the Lord came
into the world the whole earth had completely alienated itself from God by
idolatries and magic; and the church which had existed among the children of
Israel and afterwards with the Jews, had been utterly destroyed by the
falsification and adulteration of the Word. All these, both Jews and Gentiles,
had after death streamed into the world of spirits, where at length their
number was so increased and multiplied that they could be driven out only by a
descent of God Himself and then only by the strength of His Divine arm. How
this was done has been described in the little work on the Last Judgment
(London, 1758). At the Lord's first coming this increase of the hells was the
work of idolaters, magicians, and falsifiers of the Word. This impending
damnation Jehovah God removed by means of His Human, thus redeeming angels and
men. From this it is clear that without the Lord's coming no one could have
been saved (TCR 121).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">To truly
understand what he is saying here one needs to gain an understanding of the
nature and power of the Word. The Word provides conjunction between heaven and
earth and this understanding is essential to see the lengths the Lord went to
to be born on earth without causing harm to humnaity. </span></div>
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influxdivine.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14870924275514690203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060413301124356383.post-66361052975039973922015-04-10T08:41:00.000-07:002015-04-10T08:41:10.483-07:00List of Biblical and Spiritual Theme in Movies Continued
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Here are more
examples of Biblical themes. Please ad your thoughts and examples in the
comment section.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Theme: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Apocalypse.</i>
In many movies – ‘A Boy and His Dog’, ‘Blade Runner’, ‘Silent Green’, ‘The Day
the Earth stood Still’, ‘Terminator’, ‘Waterworld’ and countless super hero,
science fiction, and horror movies, the Apocalypse is depicted in various ways.
In ‘Man of Steel’ there is an apocalyptic vision of the end of the world. When
superman is taken into Zod’s ship Zod gets into his head and tells him of his
vision to destroy all the people of earth. Superman is shown sinking into a sea
of skulls and screaming out as Zod reveals his hellish vision for earth.
Superman is horrified at this genocide. This corresponds to the greatest
vulnerability Jesus had while on earth; that is, his infinite love for all
humanity, and correspondingly his pain at the possibility of their destruction.
During His ministry Evil forces could affect Jesus by destroying, capturing and
causing pain and suffering to humanity. This vulnerability can be seen (among
other places) When Jesus enters Jerusalem the last time - he weeps, because he
so loves humanity, and his great plans for Jerusalem have been lost. The evil
forces are like terrorists on earth who kill and capture innocent people to
horrify and control their enemies. At the end of the movie when superman has
Zod by the neck Zod retaliates by using his lazer eyes to almost kill innocent
people standing nearby, and Superman screams out in moral agony for him not to
do it, and finally kills Zod.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Theme: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hades and Sheol.</i>
In the Matrix there are parallels between the trainman and the god of the
underworld, Hades, who ruthlessly ruled the dark realm named after himself. In
mythology Hades was a lesser god who received the short end of the stick when
realms were divided up to rule, but he was given total power over his realm.
The train man also has total control of his dreary realm, called ‘mobile
avenue’, and is said to be between worlds from which no-one can escape. Like
Hades the trainman’s realm of power is a place of bleak nothingness, in a kind
of limbo, separate from life and God; and no one can come in or out, except by
Hades will. The trainman says to Neo, “<i>Down here, I make the rules. Down
here I make the threats. Down here... I'm God”.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Theme: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Humanity Rejects or
Kills the ‘One’ or the Savior.</i> In the movie ‘Starman’, in which Jeff
Bridges is an alien that is a Christ figure, most of the people are afraid of
him and what he can do, and the government tries to kill or capture him; but
there are a few who see him and help him. Batman and Spiderman are also treated
as the enemy of the police or military; as the mainstream authroities try to
kill them. This happens in a lot of movies and is a very significant theme;
They can be interpreted as an allegory of humanities, in the Old Testament the
Isrealites, rejection of the Lord. Movies often depict the trauma, loss, and tragedy
associated with this rejection. Again in Superman this theme is huge; a big
part of the story is that superman cannot reveal his identity until his time
comes. His father convinces him that he must painstakingly keep from revealing
his identity for otherwise people would reject him, or even kill him. When he
is a kid he is assaulted by bullies in the presence of his father, but he does
not fight back; he turns the other cheek. Indeed, his father sacrifices his own
life for this principle; - when a tornado is about to destroy him, he signals
to Kent to not come save him, for otherwise he would reveal his true self. This
theme also demonstrates another important principle, that is, that Jesus
profoundly disciplined himself to not reveal himself until his time came. He
did not use his powers to fight his enemies, but allowed all to act in freedom,
both enemies and those who loved him. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">These themes
are also in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Green Mile</i>; the central character is kind, gentle, and has miraculous
powers of healing - a Christ figure. He performs healing on several people, he
suffers greatly from understanding love, and he sees with great pain humanities
cruelty to each other. He is thought to be the enemy of society and is
imprisoned and killed by the authorities.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Theme: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jesus reveals himself
and teaches to good, common people. </i>In the Bible the disciples were salt of
the earth fisherman not educated men. He chooses simple good men who can be
taught. It is an essential part of the Superman story that his parents are simple,
honest, American farmers. Spiderman’s back story is similar in this way also.
In the Hobitt this is a very big theme. It is part of the whole meaning of the
Hobbits and their shire that they are kind, innocent farmers, but in their
hearts hold great courage. Gandolf gives a speech expressing how it is true to
the workings of life that the defeat of evil in the darkest of times would come
through simple, common, salt of the earth folks – humble hobbits. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Theme: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Resurrection and
Healing. This</i> is a clear Christ allegory in several movies, such as
‘Starman’, ‘Matrix’, ‘The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe’, and several other
movies. Similarly in movies and stories there is a figure who is able to heal,
such as Gandolf in the ‘Lord of the Rings’. Neo resurrects Trinity; Lucy heals
with her magic ointment in Narnia; in ‘The Green Mile’ the Christ figure heals
the wardens wife of terminal cancer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Theme: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Overcoming primal trauma.</i>
This is a large subject to include, but worth identifying because of the trauma
of dealing with the darkness I discussed above. The trauma of dealing
with cruelty and injustice, the emotional struggle of change and growth, the
pain of emerging into our true identity, and the yearning to recognize and be
in alignment with the goodness of the Lord – are expressed in the intense
situations movies portray that ‘show what someone is made of’ in a crisis.
There are innumerable movies of this kind; some examples not mentioned are
‘Platoon’, ‘Snitch’, ‘Shawshank Redemption’, and ‘Awakenings’. Also soundtracks
in movies have become very effective at evoking these feelings. Many movies
have intense gutteral sound-effects, and powerful, redemptive music, (matching
incredible heroics on screen) that increase the feeling of trauma, grief,
healing and love. A great example of this is ‘Schindler’s List’, which contains
such beautiful moving music set against the most intense injustice and
suffering. In the end Schindler is overcome with such redemptive love he is
infeebled like a baby with tears. In Captain Phillips at the end the trauma he
suffered is depicted very effectively along with caring treatment. In superhero
movies The powerful sounds of evil machines and characters are juxtaposed
with the glorious rising musical strains while the super-heroes battle to save
innocent people – the sounds contribute enormously to an emotional impact that
taps into our deepest fears and yearnings. In ‘Man of Steel’ there are several
times where Superman lets out an intense primal scream as he performs his
feats, such as when he saves his mother, or when he destroys the world machine.
He screams at the end - first as Zod threatens to kill innocent people, and
then again after Zod is dead and the struggle is over. He is bowed in silence
and then he lets out a primal scream that comes from the incredible effort and
feelings of birthing into his true identiy and powers, - and mourning the loss
of Krypton, - and the love of saving humanity on earth. These actions are
reminiscent of the passion of Christ when in the Garden He cries out to His
father in His agony and effort to fulfill his mission. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;"> Theme: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The internal of
humans reaches into Heaven, and the external is in the world. </i>In the movie
‘Pride and Prejudice’ Elizabeth is shown in meditative states reflecting on
things. In one scene her inner view is depicted by showing the colors one sees
as you look at the sun through closed eyes. Then her inner vision is depicted
by a scene of her standing at a beautiful precipice while music washes over in
increasing waves expanding the feeling of an elevated view; she is feeling and
perceiving the transendance of true love. The movie exemplifies ‘love truly
conjugal’, which I believe, only those whose internal is open to heaven and the
Lord can experience. </span><br />
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influxdivine.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14870924275514690203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060413301124356383.post-568700725277707932015-04-09T19:04:00.002-07:002015-04-09T19:06:08.420-07:00List of Biblical and Spiritual Themes in Movies - Part One. Makes Movies Fun and Meaningful<br />
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Theme: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Immensity of Christ’s Battles against
the forces of Hell.</i> The most common of all Biblical themes in pop culture
is that of a great battle between forces of evil and the good heroes of
humanity to save the world. Hundreds of novels, comic books and movies
demonstrate this over and over, from all the marvel and DC stories to Disney
movies like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Epic</i>, The Harry Potter
stories and the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lord of the Rings</i>. This
theme is known in the Bible, but the true immensity of the battles Christ executed
from his own might is very little known. Indeed, the full extent of them could
never be known, but if one takes the time to look there are many descriptions
of it in the Bible. Isaiah and the prophets describe it often as do th other
prophets, but the book of revelation is all about it. Even Christians and
pastors seem to rarely see the extent of it. Perhaps because it has been
somewhat misrepresented by fire and brimstone type preaching that has so
put-off many people. I believe these stories of great and dire battles at root
come from an internal need to honor the way Jesus saved the world from
overwhelming forces of evil. No-matter how many times this theme is repeated it
never ceases to capture the fascination of people. The limited knowledge of
Christs battles in the Bible goes hand in hand with the limited idea people
have of the darkness that was on the earth before Christ incarnated. In movies
the dark, deceptive and insidious nature of evil is depicted and defeated in
countless science fiction, horror, and adventure movies. The great battles in
movies are often associated with the end of the world, which of course has to
do with the well-known Biblical theme of the apacolypse. This is seen in movies
like the Terminator, Independence Day, Superman, The Avengers, I-robot, Lord of
he Rings, Men in Black, 1984, “The Day the Earth Stood Still”, and so on. </div>
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Swedenborg gives a
powerful description of how intense Christ’s battles were:</div>
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Theme: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Determinism in society at the time of
Christ.</i> In the latest superman movie, “Man of Steel”, this theme is a very
large part of the back story of Kripton. It is told that the people of Kripton
had adapted in such a way that they tightly controlled child birth. Every child
was born under<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>government control with a
predetermined purpose, - some workers, some leaders, some trades people and so
on. This is an allegory of the determinism we spoke of that was a result of the
decline in religion and the externalization of life before the time of Christ.
Zod, the military ruler of Kripton, angrily expresses throughout his scenes that
his sole purpose for existence from birth was to preserve Kripton, and he is a
warrior who will destroy everything in his way that would keep him from that
purpose. Also, in the beginning of the movie when Zod and his officers are sentenced
for their crimes by the counsel, their sentence is forever - no possibility of
release or attempt to rehabilitate. This is so because the counsel knows Zod’s
purpose, and that he cannot be reformed. This is significant because with the
Romans and other Mediterranean nations at the time the jadedness toward cruelty
was a natural extension of determinism. The belief that they have a
predetermined purpose led to a great devaluing of life. This theme is also in
‘The Terminator’, and the ‘Matrix’.</div>
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Theme: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">David in Goliath. </i>This theme is iconic
and referred to in common language in sports and other arenas ways in society.
In the movie ‘Thor: The Dark World’ there is a scene where the two armies are
battling and then a giant rock-man three times the size of Thor walks in and
they face-off one on one. The enemy army laughs at Thor’s demand that the giant
surrender. Thor whirls his hammer and smashes the giant into a pile of rubble.</div>
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Theme: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Atmospheres in the spiritual World.</i> This
is a theme in many movies such as Mission to Mars, Star trek, not to mention
the reality of it on the planets in our solar system. In ‘Man of Steel’ it is
told and shown that the people from Kripton cannot breath in the same
atmosphere as the people on earth. The whole purpose for the Kripton war is to
change the atmosphere of earth into that of Kripton. This is an allegory of a
circumstance that is fundamental in heaven and the spiritual world. Swedenborg
tells how every society in heaven has its own breathing pattern that is determined
by the quality of love there. The difference between atmospheres in heaven and
hell in this regard is total - spirits from hell cannot even begin to enter heaven
for they begin to choke in a torturous way to the point of total suffication.</div>
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Theme: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hereditary Evil.</i> In the matrix there are
several scenes of agents pressing their hand into the body of people and causing
a black darkness to enter them, inside and out, consuming the person in black.
This is symbolic of hereditary evil accumulating and increasing to the point it
consumes the person’s life. In the Matrix the agents continue to multiply and
would soon consume the whole world of humans and the machines, which is an
allegory of the darkness that was increasing on earth at the end of the Jewish
church. This is very significant because at the end the agent does thrusts his
hand into Neo; Neo receives it all and turns into an agent - and then uses it
to access all evil. He battles the evil from the inside and wipes it out. As I
described in the section on equilibrium this parallels that the Lord was born
on earth and took on a natural body; which meant He now had access to evil, and
evil had access to him to him. He gradually defeated the forces of evil, purified
himself of all hereditary evil, and and put heaven and hell into divine order.
This is an essential part of the glorification process which I will discuss in
a moment.</div>
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Theme: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Faith to be expressed in Freedom.</i> The
theological theme of Freedom is upheld in many movies. In the matrix, in the
confrontation between the Architect and Neo reveals their essential beliefs:
Neo upholds freedom of choice as the truth of being human, while the Architect
in all his brilliance basically believes in determinism, which is materialistic
and external and leads to spiritual death. </div>
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This is also a major
theme in many of the Marvel movies, but none more so than in Captain America 2.
The backdrop of this movie honors the men and woman of the ‘greatest
generation’, especially those who defeated Hitler in WW2. The evil organization
called Hydra (an off-shoot of the Nazis) corrupts sheild from within with the
philosophy and technology to determine who should die before they are able to
commit crimes. This is a representation of the evil of determinism and how it is
the inevitable result from completely external and merely natural thinking.
Captain America, coming from the greatest generation, senses from the beginning
that the ideology of Hydra is destructive, because it is against freedom and
the principles of the constitution and democracy, which grow from a belief in
God.</div>
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At the end of the
Matrix the agent believes he has won and asks Neo, ‘why do you keep on fighting’,
and Neo says, “Because I choose to”. This upholds that the choice to love and
fight for freedom is a Christ-like human quality. Also at the end when ‘the one
who protects that which matters most’ asks the Oracle if she always knew they
would be saved, she says, “No, I didn’t, but I believed, I believed.” This
upholds choice and faith as essential goods. Also, it is a principle of freedom
that<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>no one is given knowledge of the
future (not even the Oracle), but salvation must be worked out by choice from
moment to moment. When the human soul seeks meaning it cannot but uphold these
truths for the essence of being human is freedom.</div>
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The deep value of
freedom is often combined with American tradition and values, demonstrating the
role of America as a light to the world. ‘Independence day’, and ‘Signs’ are
good examples of this, as are many of the marvel movies. In his career Kevin
Costner has depicted American heartland values incredibly well. He personifies
American common sense, goodness, and strength, especially in ‘Field of Dreams’,
and ‘Man of steel’.</div>
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Theme: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Christ is the bridge (the Logos) between the
father and humanity.</i> In ‘Man of Steel’ Superman has very good Christ
allegories. There is a scene in which Superman’s father tells him who he is,
and through their discussion their mind and wills become more and more united. He
tells him that on Kripton they lost freedom of choice because they had adopted
predetermined birth, but he (Superman) is from the ‘house of El’ where they
dreamed of freedom, where people have choice and the chance to reach their full
potential. He tells Superman that he could not tell him that the Kodex was in
the cells of his body until the moment they were in because he was not ready
for it. He then tells him that he can be the bridge between Krypton and Earth,
and that he can save humanity. Jesus is the original redeemer of freedom by
subjugating evil and restoring equilibrium; and He is also the bridge – the
bridge between God and humanity on earth, for which He is also called the Logos.
The logos is the embodied love and wisdom that makes all love and wisdom
accessible to humanity. Later in the movie Superman’s father, Cal El, tells Zod
that his Son is twice the man that he is, which is similar to the Bible’s when
the voice of God says, “This is my Son in whom I am well pleased”. After
receiving the conviction to save earth (his father tells him, “You can save
Lois, You can save all of them”) Superman punches a hole in the Kripton ship,
and then floats slowly out holding his arms in the position of the cross – a
powerful image of the savior. The miraculous feats superman performs appeal to
something very deep in the human soul – the desire to be seen and valued, for
the trauma we suffer to be justly redeemed; to be given hope that there is a true
Father watching over who is capable of all things.<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-no-proof: yes;">Also in the movie ‘Interstellar’ the main characters are on a
mission to save the world, and in the process calls himself and his daughter
the bridge that will save the world. By way of an enormous and miraculous
struggle he travels through a worm hole and accesses a point in time and space
to inform his genius daughter of the information necessary to save the planet. There
is also a profound story of love and loss between then and the primary theme of
this is that love is the means that finds the way and carries the information
and wisdom to find redemption. This movie deals with advanced knowledge of
space, black holes and theoretical wormholes. It is acknowledged that no one
knows what lies through a black hole or a wormhole, but in the story telling of
the movie an answer and meaning is given to this problem by spiritual means,
that is, in the movie it is said and shown that love provides the means and
answer on the other side of a black hole. This can be seen as an allegory for
entering heaven, and as an allegory of redemption through love. This movie
shows once again that when the human psyche seeks meaning it returns to what is
most intrinsically meaningful and appealing in our soul – biblical themes. The
movie also demonstrates one the maxims of Swedenborg concerning the Lord; that
is that love is a container of wisdom. This means that the intense desire and
affection of love<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>elevates the state and
therefore the perception of a person which inherently includes wisdom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span>
</div>
influxdivine.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14870924275514690203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060413301124356383.post-90347106481952265512015-04-08T13:57:00.001-07:002015-04-08T13:57:19.675-07:00The challenge Jesus faced in transforming the poeple of his time from their dark and external state.
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In the previous article we examined how the times before Jesus were in a dark state, how the people had lost the internal connection to religion, and were in an external outlook 'doing it to each other'. We see Jesus’ teaching addressing this
situation in the Gospels. The challenge for Jesus was to teach the people how
to reflect inwardly and fight for inwardly meaningful relationships:</div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I
did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against
his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her
mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ He
who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves
son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.</span></div>
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To begin to change the external mindset of
the people is a monumental task. Jesus is teaching the people that they can
come out from under the smothering social definition of themselves. To do so
requires recognizing the pressure they are putting on each other and on
themselves. Inwardly they are pressured into a state of ill-will, contention,
suspician and hate. It is a self-perpetuating, unsolvable knot. To come out of
it, they have to overcome ancient habits, and see how they are victims of it,
and party to it. This means confronting the internal rage and anger, which they
have no practice or skill for; they must learn to use thier anger and hate to
fight the oppressive arrangement, not each other; they must use the energy of
rage to fight for their identity; it is a fight for their very soul. This is
what Jesus means when he says, “I did not come to bring peace but a sword….a
man’s enemies will be those of his own household.<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">”</span> Fighting for their personal relationship
with God also meant fighting to reawaken their capacity for affection, love,
kindness, and joy. For the people at the time it requires emerging from the
fear of dark spirits and the long-standing habit of defining themselves by
others expectations. To hate father, mother, daughter etc. is where the battle
takes place. It does not mean that they permanently hate each other, but that
it is a process of confronting the condition they are in with each other.
Isaiah writes of this situation when he says:</div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“I will give children to be their princes,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">And babes shall rule over them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The people will be oppressed,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Every one by another and every one by his neighbor;</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The child will be insolent toward the elder,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">And the base toward the honorable” (Isaiah 3: 4,5).</span></div>
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Isaiah’s words describe the dark and
destructive condition that family roles had become, how each person was ‘doing
it’ to the other. This verse gives the picture of insolent children leading the
people with ill intent, which is very apt. The religious leaders obsessively
kept the people obedient to the law of the Torah which was stringent and
behaviriol. The system played into the leaders ambition of holding power. To keep
the trust of the people the leaders had to keep up appearances and fulfill
their role according to custom. The leaders and the people were unconscience of
how evil was using them, and most leaders fought to their dying breath to maintain
it. The family clan system worked in tandem with the intent of the leaders to
keep the people in an external and contentious state. Evil had manipulated the society
to the point the people had no internal conscience, and therefore no ability to
stop the downward spiral into darkness. It was the work of Jesus to awaken the
fighting spirit deep in the soul of the people so they could find their
internal life again. </div>
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Jesus himself demonstrated overcoming
societal and family roles in his life. He first breaks out of the mold when his
mother finds him teaching and discoursing in the Temple with the religious
leaders. When Mary calls out to Him with alarm He admonishes her for keeping
him from his true work; but then the scripture reads that ‘He let himself be
subject to her,’ once again bowing to the conventions of the day. The unkown
years of Jesus’childhood are often speculated upon. I think the key point about
the years before he began his ministry is that he possessed the self-discipline
to keep his true identity on the low-down. He developed his skills and powers
living within the customs of the land waiting for his time to come. He did not
do the things publicly that he was capable of, so as not to bring undue
attention to himself. This is why the Bible speaks so little of His yourth and
early manhood. He was born into being a carpenter as his father was, and took
on that profession as was the custom, but later He became a teacher and a
prophet, which shattered the mold of the times. The day He fully revealed his
ambition in his hometown synagogue He was vilified and threatened with death
for his presumption. Much of this has to do with the claim to be the Messiah,
but it was also that the people in his hometown were incensed that he dared to
change his social status. (“Is this Joseph’s son”). It greived Him to be
rejected by his brothers and his hometown, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but He allowed them to hate him without
retribution, and he knew how to stand up to them; He had the skill to fight for
his right to love, and to practice love with wisdom. His own brothers rejected
him during his life. It took a long time for them to come to see who He really was,
but in the end they became dedicated leaders of the Early Christian church.
Jesus’ incredible powers of self-discipline can be seen during his ministry. In
the Garden when he is betrayed by Judas, Peter uses his sword to fight the
Roman soldiers. Jesus admonishes Peter by saying, “Don’t you know I could bring
down twelve legion of angels and destroy my enemies”, but he does not, because
he knows humanity must be transformed in freedom. As much as possible he lived
like a normal human without excorbatant use of his supernatural powers. This is
why when he is jeered by the pharisees and the theives while on the cross, “If
you are the son of God save yourself”, he does not. He knew the path he must
follow, which includes that humantiy can only be transformed within the laws of
freedom.</div>
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A major characteristic of the honor/shame
society can be seen in confrontations between Jesus and the scribes and
pharisees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the agonistic society
these are semi-formal contests between people of equal status. They result in
shame for the loser and an increase of honor of the winner. These contests do
not take place between people of different status because the lower person is
expected to simply accept their place. The confrontation in the synogogue
follows this honor/shame custom as do all the face-offs between jesus and the
religious leaders.</div>
influxdivine.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14870924275514690203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060413301124356383.post-44427647114706484082015-04-07T18:19:00.000-07:002015-04-07T18:19:08.435-07:00The Clan System of Ancient Mediterranean Society Exemplifies the Vacuous Nature of Religion and the External Nature of Society Before Jesus Incarnated
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<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
Molina and others describe how all phases
of ancient Mediterranean society were tightly structured and emphasize meeting
expectations of honor, and avoiding shame. The immediate family relationships,
that is, mother, father; sons, and daughters, and brothers and sisters are the
most important relationships. Closely related cousins are next in importance.
Women become imbedded into the family that they marry into, but are held in a
secondary position, almost like strangers to the family. Even the affection between
married couples is held as secondary to brother/sister and parent/child
relationships. The closest ties are between brother and sister, brother to
brother, and sister to sister. But even in these relationships the intense need
to protect honor overrides affection. Marriages are arranged, and options for
marriage are very limited. Almost all marriages were based on improving status:
they were a very important way of bringing honor or shame to families.
Marriages were arranged by elders who possessed a savvy eye to political and
economic gain. Clans formed by families grouping together; they bonded mostly
by the marriage of their sons and daughters. The main purpose of the clan
system was to strengthen individual and family status. </div>
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The best way for a woman to raise her honor
within the strada of her status is to bear a son. A son will often be a women’s
closest bond and best advocate. When sons marry the clan will try to keep the
young family in the same house, or within a kind of courtyard access. Parents
usually advise and interfere in a young family’s issues. The particular status
of a woman and her family is portrayed in complex color designs on the women’s
dress, which is still practiced today. These designs were taught, read, and
obeyed by everyone.</div>
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In the family and clan all are responsible
for each other’s shame and honor. Fathers were much wearied by daughters,
because daughters are most vulnerable to shaming the family. If they commit a
sexual violation, or are unable to find marriage and bear a child the family
suffers shame. As a result civil punishments for women were more severe than
for men. If a woman was mistreated by a man her brother would try to avenge the
offense, while the father negotiated with the other party to save honor. If a person
commits dishonor the whole family is shamed, and the clan is also shamed to
some extent. The greater number of strong members in the clan the greater
protection the clan has against destructive events of shame. It is a game of
numbers and survival.</div>
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Moving out of, or above ones status is very
unusual, almost impossible. Males follow the occupation of their fathers, and
inherit their social status. Within ones status level each person tries to ally
themselves with those who have influence, power, or good status, and to avoid
those who cause shame. For instance, if a person is known to be ill the
question is asked ‘who’ harmed him or her, not ‘what happened’. If the question
does not lead to a person, but a condition such as a storm, or accident, then
the question of blame is extended to deceased spirits and gods associated with
the clan. When harm is done it is possible that a living enemy put a curse on
the suffering person from a doll, or that someone gave them the evil eye; it is
also possible that a god disfavored them. It was a suedo-science in the ancient
and New Testament world to know all the gods and influential dead for the sake
of discerning how a person may have been caused harm, or how they received
favor. For the Jews this practice of patronizing gods was a source of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>shame because the Jews were an occupied
people, and according to their own deep rooted belief their God or gods were
supposed to be more powerful than the gods of the pagan Romans, especially on
their sacred land, but the longer they were subjects dominated by the Romans,
the harder it was to sustain this belief. </div>
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A person of honor learned how to manipulate
all of these factors. They were consumed in playing this complex social game;
indeed it was a game, a game with terrible consequences. By nature it was
intensely self-perpetuating. Everyone was forced to play, and their identity
was consumed by it. They became numb to its cruelties. The biblical description
of the people being sheep without a Shepard is apt in that the people had no
way change things; they could not even see the trap they were in. The religious
leaders were given very high authority by the people, and these leaders were
keepers of the old ways using every means to maintain their power. Many of them
were only motivated by power and would not tolerate change - as is seen in the
gospels.</div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
In Old Testament times marriage strategy
gradually moves from being somewhat consolatory to agonistic in nature, that
is, it became less about mutual inclination than it was pure competition
between clans. Malina describes the evolution of aggressive marraige strategy
that was the norm in the time of Jesus:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: 13.7pt; margin-right: 27.35pt; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Marriage strategy emerges exclusively as an
agonistic value, a conflict in which the winners are those who keep the
daughters, sisters, and wives and take the woman of other groups in addition,
giving only their patronage, their power and protection in exchange.</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: 13.7pt; margin-right: 27.35pt; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">In the aggressive perspective (strategy) daughters
should marry relatives as close to home as incest laws will allow. Sons on the
other hand should marry non-relatives and bring the spouse into the family.
Given this preference marriage ends up being a competitive, agnostic affair in
which there are winners and losers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The object of this competition is to increase the
number of women and loyal men in the clan. Mostly this centers around
accumulating woman into the clan by marriage in exchange for patronage. The
more numbers one has the more power.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
This general look into the clan system
gives an idea of how it was that the people did not have a personal conscience,
but an external one. External pressures and expectations consumed their heart
and mind. Malina comments that: “Married dyadic personalities are in a complex
and delicate state of mutual interdependence which tends to greatly limit
personal emotional feeling – or at least its direct expression in action.
Spontaneous affection would impinge on the rights and obligation and interests
of too many others. This need to limit affection is a basic feature of arranged
marriages found in kinship (clan) systems.” The average person’s internal life
was smothered in this system. </div>
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-no-proof: yes;">This character of the honor/shame society and clan system goes
along with the death of genuine charity in religion and society. It is a dog
eat dog world, perhaps in modern terms it could be compared to the godfather or
gang mentality, except that it dominates all society</span>
influxdivine.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14870924275514690203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060413301124356383.post-42444554924168319862015-04-05T15:40:00.001-07:002015-04-07T01:04:21.341-07:00Case Study of a Man's Experience of Hell and How He Changed<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In this blog I am sharing a story I was told by a man I worked with as the chaplain in a major hospital.
I am mostly telling his story with only a little interpretation, so
that you can share your ideas about what it mans to you. For instance do
you think the man's description of hell is real, as he says, or a
dream, or a vision. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I
met with H the first day he came in. He was in a car accident and broke
the front and back of his neck. His face and upper body seem mostly
unaffected. He has a strong upper body, except that his fingers are
curled, but his lower body is paralyzed. He has a round head, mostly
bald. On first impression he sort looks like a fighter. He has earthy
good looks and a big smile. His face is engaging and he makes strong eye
contact. There is charisma in his smile, but it sometimes fades to
weariness. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">When he had the accident he had two kids with his wife, and his wife also had a son before they were married.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">He
launched into telling me the following story: Early in his life he had
done drugs and was heavily caught up in the gang world in LA for a long time. Some of
his own gang members turned on him over a girl and tried to kill him,
but his mother saw what happened and tricked him into moving to a
central CA city. He got out of gangs, and got married. One night his
stepson wanted to go out to some SF clubs. His wife let him because his
son was a little depressed and getting over a break-up. His stepson was
only 20. At the club there were not many people and H felt like they
should leave. The club had three dance floors. His stepson sees a girl
and followers her to the ‘underground’ floor and starts to drink. H goes
down, and in the corner of the room he sees 5 demons. He said they were
black, shadowy, and kind of see-through, and had red horrid eyes. He
asks his stepson if he sees anyone in the corner, and his says, “No,
what are talking about’. H still sees the demons and they beckon him to
come over. But he goes with his stepson to get a drink. After that he
doesn’t remember anything for almost two hours, but he must have been
partying. Later it was told by doctors that his stepson had ecstasy in
his blood. H conjectures that someone might of slipped him ecstasy, but
doesn’t know. (Others suggested that sometimes devious people slip
ecstasy into drinks just to watch how people act). In any case at around
two in the morning they leave, and as soon as H steps outside he
faints, and can’t stay awake. His stepson who is wasted drives home, and they get into a terrible accident.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In
the hospital he finds that his wife is only concerned about her son and
doesn’t pay attention to him. The doctors tell him they can operate on
his neck but they don’t have much hope that he will live. His wife has
power of attorney for him, but she doesn’t attend to Him. He feels abandoned by his wife. He tells the doctors to operate now, and his wife finally comes to agree.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">He
has a series of operations and each time the doctors are surprised he
recovers better then they thought, and they keep taking further steps
because he is improving. He begins to regain feeling in his body. During
this time of his operations he said he was in an induced coma for three
months. While in a coma he experienced the following:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"> He
saw a light, and it was an opening to a tunnel. He went through the
tunnel and on the other side he came out. He saw a black and red sky,
and a demon flying in the air. He noticed the demon had broken wings,
though this didn’t affect the way it flew. He looked down and saw a
large river. It was very bright, like hot lava. He said that as he
looked closely he saw people in the river making horrible screams and
trying to get out. He said there were thousands and thousands of people
in it. He saw that the river led to a lake.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">He
was on a sort of ledge above watching, and then the same 5 demons came
near. They came after him, and he felt there was nothing he could do. He
felt terror and that this was it - the demons were going to throw him
in the river like the others, and he would be like this forever. Then he
heard someone speaking in his ear. He felt the presence of the Lord. He
felt the Lord enter his ear and move through his head, then down
through his body into his heart. The demons tried to grab him, but
somehow they couldn’t touch him. They were hideous, powerful, and
enraged, right in his face, but could not touch him to throw him in.
Then he felt something pull him from the back of his head and spine as
if he had hair. But he was bald. He felt the Lord lifte him out from
hell, and he woke up.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Verbatim:</span><br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">C4 – What did you feel when the presence entered your ear and your heart?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">P4
– He was talking to me. It was the Lord. I felt so happy. I couldn’t
believe it. I thought I was done for the rest of my time. I have been
bald for a long time. He lifted me by my body.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">C5 – How come the demons couldn’t get you?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">P5
– He was protecting me. They were so mad, but they couldn’t touch me. I
was so thankful and happy. There was nothing I could do. I owe
everything to him for saving me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">C6 – What was the point that you feel that you changed?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">P6
– You know when I was younger I went to church sometimes. I knew that I
was moving too fast and doing some wrong things. I heard God’s voice,
but I didn’t pay attention. I said, “I’ll do it later”. But when he came
in me I felt joy, and I said I am never letting go of this, and I never
did. This is my witness.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">P7 – What happened with your wife?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">P7
– Things were still hard on me when I started to get better. I lost
everything when this happened. My wife wasn’t there for me and left me,
and I lost my kids. I only see them sometimes now. I can’t do anything
to take care of them or get them back. I lost my job. I lost everything.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">C8 – My God, that must of hurt so much. You must of felt abandoned.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">P8
– Yah it hurt me a lot. Everything was so hard after that, trying to
move and being helpless. But I had to let go of all that. I put all my
heart in prayer and God, and knew that he would help me to get better. I
had to focus on healing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The
weariness in him seemed to be from all the difficult things one after
another that he went through, from the pain of operations and having to
fight back. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Nevertheless he was steadfast
in talking to anyone about how wonderful the Lord was. After the
accident he changed from being Godless to expressing love For the Lord,
and how the Lord saved him. He wanted to learn about the Lord everyday. We talked a lot about how the Lord redeems, and he would tell his story to anyone who would listen.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It was apparent he had a hard time speaking up for himself to people he thought were authority figures. He wouldn't tell the doctors things he was feeling and needing; he was very constricted in expressing these things; he seemed to feel unworthy and suspicious of their acceptance. I had to work with him to help him see it was OK to express what he thought or needed for his body.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
influxdivine.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14870924275514690203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060413301124356383.post-41107984015487912432015-04-03T00:06:00.001-07:002015-04-07T01:05:45.097-07:00During His Life on Earth the Lord Underwent two States, Humiliation and Glorification, both described<style>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">From His birth the Lord had a human from the
mother, and as He by successive steps put it off, it follows that while He was
in the world He had two states, the one called the state of humiliation or
emptying out, and the other, the state of glorification, or unition
with the Divine called the Father. He was in the state of humiliation at the
time and in the degree that He was in the human from the mother; and in that of
glorification at the time and in the degree that He was in the Human from the
Father. In the state of humiliation He prayed to the Father as to one who was
other than Himself; but in the state of glorification He spoke with the Father
as with Himself. In this latter state He said that the Father was in Him and He
in the Father, and that the Father and He were one. But in the state of
humiliation He underwent temptations, and suffered the cross, and prayed to the
Father not to forsake Him. For the Divine could not be tempted, much less could
it suffer the cross. From what has been said it is now evident that by means of
temptations and continual victories in them, and by the passion of the cross
which was the last of the temptations, the Lord completely conquered the hells,
and fully glorified His Human (Emanuel Swedenborg).</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">These states only apply to the Lord because he is divine and infinite. The corresponding states that we as humans go through are called temptation and regeneration. </span></div>
influxdivine.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14870924275514690203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060413301124356383.post-75922102624042767942015-03-30T15:07:00.000-07:002015-04-07T01:06:21.247-07:00Human Superpowers - Thanks to all who ParticipateHello friends, great to meet you. Thought of the day: People often say everything is subjective, true, but it is also true that the only way of knowing is through our body, heart and mind. We are made to be receptacles of God's love and wisdom. Love not an abstraction, but can only be expressed through the human form. The cross has a vertical and horizontal; by horizontal connected to all people and places, by the vertical tethered to the Lord. The virtues also exist by being expressed through human form.<br />
I have a blind friend with superpowers, feel more scene by her than anybody, great ease of affection and hearing. Thanks for participating in my blog. Please leave a comment.<br />
<br />
Steveinfluxdivine.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14870924275514690203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060413301124356383.post-57207272255272114012015-03-29T17:00:00.001-07:002015-04-05T00:08:37.850-07:00The Inside Story of the Second Comming - Part One: Seeing it in Scripture and History<style>
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<span style="color: white;">This article tells
the inside story of the second coming. It is a big subject to tackle but I will
try to boil it down so one can see the spiritual reasoning behind it. If you
choose to contemplate this it would definitely help to read the article
entilted, ‘<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6060413301124356383#editor/target=post;postID=5099378166331875137;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=15;src=postname">The
Concept of Equilibrium - An Esential Key to Understading the Bible, Science, History,
and the Cosmos</a>’ in this blog. That article will help you to understand the</span>
terrible imbalance which had taken place in the equilibrium between heaven and
hell at three different times in history; the time of Noah, the Incarnation,
and the second coming. At each time the church on earth, or the universal
spiritual state of mankind, had declined to the point there was almost no
goodness left in it. The declined state caused a cosmic imbalance that, if left
uncorrected, would have consumed humanitly in total darkness. Each time in
different ways it was restored by the might of the Lord. At the time of Noah He
caused the flood, at the end of the Old testament He was born on earth and
resurrected, in the second coming he revealed the internal sense of the Word.
What occurred that was the same at each of these times is that in the spiritual
world he subjugated the forces of hell, and restored equilibrium between heaven
and hell. The second coming has to do with the decline of the Christian church,
namely the Catholic, all the protestant churches, and the Muslim churches on
earth. Each of these had lost almost all charity in them. This decline
culminated in 1757. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had become
mostly external at this time, especially the catholic church. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: white;">“I saw a new heaven and a new earth: the first heaven and
the first earth passed away”. This refers to the second coming. Because of the
imbalance that had taken place the Lord had to accommodate a sort of
suedo-heaven in the spiritul world inwhich the good and the bad were together. At
the time of the second coming in the spiritual world evil spirits had the upper
hand and were intercepting most of those who newly died and in the spiritual
world were deceptively brought into their suedo-heaven. This had been
developing for centuriess parrellel to the corruptions in the churches on earth.
This is comparable to the long decline in the Jewish religion
of the Old Testament where the people were so stubborn and time and time again
rejected God’s plans and eventually became completely external and legalistic.
The Jewish leaders had usurped all power over the people and used religion to
dominate the people. The corruptions of the Catholic religion before the second
coming went even further; they made themselves the source of authority,
claiming the very place of God. They made the people subject to them, and took
away a direct relationship with the Lord and the Bible. Simularly in the
spiritual world the religious leaders that were evil recruited the people into
their ‘heaven’ and Lorded over them. They could not be overtly evil but had to
appear of good decroum and play the role morally, but were inwardly delighting
in power. The ordinary people followed these leaders and learned of the things
of faith and religion from them, wether they leaders were evil or not. Because they
were tied in this relationhsip that involves the Word and the sacred things of
religion they were conjoined in a way that the Lord could not separate them
until the time was right. This service the evil were providing protected them
from being put where they belong. The people who followed them and practiced
faith in sincerity, even though it was from evil leaders, could be saved, and
for this reason the Lord allowed it. This is told in many places in the Bible,
but perhaps none more clearly than in the Parable of the wheat and chaffe. Swedenborg
explains:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
therefore these spirits (the good) had been forcibly removed from them (the
evil) before the appointed time, heaven would have suffered in it’s ultimate (it’s
foundation): yet it is upon the ultimate that the higher heaven rests, as it
were upon its basis. That for this reason these spirits (the bad) were
tolerated till the last time, the Lord teaches in these words: Didst thou not
sow good seed in the field? Whence then hath it the tares? And they said, Wilt
thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather
up the tares, ye root also the wheat with them. Let both therefore grow
together until the harvest: and in the time of the harvest I will say to the
reapers, gather ye first together the tares, and bind them into bundles to burn
them; but gather the wheat unto my barn…the harvest is the consummation of the
age…As therefore the tares are gathered together and burned in the fire, so
shall it be in the consummation of this age.” (Matt. xiii, 27-30, 37,40.) (The
Last Judgment p. 69,70)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you see the inside story then
you can understand the parable (and how unfathomably deep the Word and parables
are). What many people don’t understand is that the last judgement took place
in the spiritual world. Most of the the Book of Revelation is about the
judgement that took place on the different peoples and nations in the spiritual
world, though the events on earth were the foundational cause of it as
described above. The judgment in the spiritual world and was upon those who
lived from the Lords time until the second coming. It did not include those who
were already in heaven or hell before the Lord was born, nor those who were not
caught up in the false heavens either as perpetraters or victims, but went to
the real heaven or to the real hell. By the last judgment the Lord was
retrieving the captive good to their rightful place in heaven, and
deconstructing the false heavens and sending the evil to where they belong. The
bad were revealed in their true state and went to hell. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: white;">The second coming is not about current events and does not
take place some time in the future. It is a general truth that a judgement
always takes place at the final stage of decline of the earthly church as it
had at the time of Noah and the incarnation. As He had done at the time of the
flood, and the time of his advent, in second coming the Lord restored
equilibrium. The subjugating of hell, restoring equilibrium and putting heaven
back in order is the Lord’s work of redemption. Swedenborg professes to have
been allowed by the Lord to witness the enactment of the Last judgment in the
spiritual world on each of the different churches and peoples. He describes
that the first step is that there is a ‘visitation’ as talked about in the
Bible. This means the good people are seperated out of the cities to<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a safe place, and the bad are left in the
city. Then he describes that there was great earthquakes, the earth opened and
the evil fall into great chasms; there is the smoke of idolotrous items
burning; often massive floods that sweep people away or into deserts, it is all
far too much to relate here.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the centuries leading up to the
second coming the many fake heavens that formed in the spiritual world below
heaven caused a dark cloud between heaven and earth. This dark cloud caused
interference to the heavenly influx to earth, which further caused the external
state of the people and the church. In the judgement the Lord destroyed and removed
all of these heavens. The captives (as spoken in the Bible) rejoiced greatley
at being released and restored to their rightful place in heaven. As you can
imagine there was overflowing gladness of heart and thankfulness. The effect on
earth was slower and less dramatic; but there is a trickle-down effect that can
clearly be seen in history. First let us hear Swedenborg explain these things:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before
the Last Judgment was effected much of the communication between heaven and the
world, and therefore between the Lord and the church, was intercepted. All
enlightenment comes to man from the Lord through heaven, and enters by an
internal way. So long as there were congregations of such spirits between
heaven and the world, or between the Lord and the church, man could not be
enlightened. It was as when a sunbeam is cut-off by a black interposing cloud,
or as when the sun is eclipsed and its light arrested by the interjacent moon.
If therefore anything had been revealed by the Lord, it either would have not
been understood, or if understood, yet would not have been received…. Now since
all these interposing congregations were dissipated by the Last Judgment, it is
plain that the communication between heaven and the world, or between the Lord
and the church, has been restored…. this great change which has been effected
in the spiritual world does not induce any change in the natural world as to
the outward form…. But as regards the church … it will indeed be similar as to
the outward, but dissimilar as to the internal form…the man of the church will
hereafter be in a more free state of thinking on matters of faith, that is on
the spiritual things that relate to heaven, because spiritual liberty has been
restored.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
the next blog we will look at more of thes principles and examine them in
history.</span></div>
influxdivine.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14870924275514690203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060413301124356383.post-30489695165922517472015-03-29T14:48:00.001-07:002015-03-29T14:50:42.554-07:00The Extraordinary Brilliance of the Glorification Process of Jesus: The Mystery of Mysteries<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 9.0pt; text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">In this article I hope to explore the correspondence between the process of
the glorification of the Lord, and Einstein’s theory of particle acceleration,
which states that as matter approaches the speed of light its mass increases, and
theoretically approaches infinity. This was demonstrated in the Berkeley
cyclotron. I will begin by describing the process of the glorification.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 9.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jesus was tempted and assaulted by evil
during the course of His whole life. The 40 days and 40 nights that the Lord
was tempted are symbolic of temptations that actually took place his whole
life. These temptations and battles that took place were of an intensity far
beyond what we could even imagine. The process of overcoming these temptations
is how Christ purified his human and accomplished the glorification. Christ
could be tempted by evil because he had a human body from his mother. All
humans have Hereditary evil; it is passed on from generation to generation
through the body, and the soul. The evil that comes from the father is more
interior, because of the soul; and the evil that comes from the mother is more
exterior, because from the body. Interior evil from the soul can be
regenerated, but cannot be removed. Therefore, because Christ soul was divine,
or Jehovah himself, he had no interior evil, but he did have hereditary evil
from the body. The result of this is that He ‘entered the fish bowl’, so to
speak, that is, He made himself accessible to all humanity, and at the same
time to all evil. But the brilliance of
this <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is that Jesus also access to evil.</i> He needed to be able to be tempted
by the evil so He could <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">subjugate all
evil</i>.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 9.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 9.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The
Lord
grew like other men. He learned and grew in skills, except at a much
greater rate and power. With his exceptional spiritual and intellectual
skills
he was tempted by spiritual pride, and every other vice during his
growth. Day
by day, step-by-step, He overcame all temptations. Evil forces tempted
Him with
power, fame, greed, wealth, and comfort. The reason he could be tempted
but did not sin, is that as long as we a mulling a deed over in mind, it
is not yet sin, but when we intend to do, or do he deed, it has entered
our will and it is sin. They tempted Him to rage, vengeance,
lust, pride, and self-love. They unrelentingly tried to persuade him to
sinful actions by incredible magical arts. But Christ was able to see
and reject the evil of men and women, especially in the spiritual world.
He
defeated the forces of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>all hell by making them surrender to him. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 9.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">To
give some insight to the depth of these assaults, Swedenborg writes that even
the angels of heaven tempted Him because angles, even though good, are former
humans and have remnants of hereditary evil. Swedenborg writes: “He foresaw and
overcame the most subtle of all temptations from the angels”. It took the power
and might of His Divine Soul to overcome and do what no human could do. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 9.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Christ’s
greatest temptation had to do with his boundless love and compassion for
humanity. The evil forces knew this, so like terrorists on earth, they sought
to destroy that which He loves the most. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 9.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Now
it is very important to note that evil attacks according to ones innermost love,
for from this they can destroy a person’s life; and because Christ was the
greatest love to ever be all the greatest forces of hell sought to destroy him.
But from the power in his soul each time Christ overcame a temptation He took
another step in purifying His human body of all hereditary evil. And each time
He removed hereditary evil, He entered a greater state of light, and the
quality of his love rose to a higher level.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 9.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 9.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Now
lets examine the implications of this process. The progressive temptations the
Lord underwent and overcame, and the ever-increasing love He opened to, sets up
an exponential equation. As said above, it is a law of the
hells that they seek to destroy a person by attacking their innermost love, and
every time a temptation is overcome one’s state of love increases. In the case
of Christ His soul possessed infinite potential because His father was God.
Swedenborg writes, “Because this love (of Christ toward humanity) was not human
but Divine, and temptation is great in proportion as the love is great, it is
evident how grievous were His combats, and how great the ferocity on the part
of the hells. That these things were so I know of a certainty”. So the ever-increasing
formula is this: the more Christ overcame temptations and purified his human
the higher his quality of love became, which in turn led the hells to attack
with increased force at the higher level, and when He overcame that temptation,
His quality of love increased again, and so on to the point of infinity. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having described
Swedenborg’s conception of the Glorification process we can now compare it
to Einstein’s theory of particle acceleration, which states: the
closer a particle approaches the speed of light, the greater its mass becomes,
and this increase continues exponentially to the horizon of infinity. Max Born
writing on this subject says:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .75in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: 5.25in 391.5pt 5.5in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">A glance at formula 78
for the mass tells us that the values of the relativistic mass <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">m</i> become greater as the velocity <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">v</i> of the moving body approaches the
velocity of light. For <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">v=c</i> the mass
becomes infinitely great.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 45.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: 5.25in 5.5in; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">From this it follows
that it is impossible to make a body move with a velocity greater than that of
light by applying forces: Its inertial resistance grows to an infinite extent
and prevents the velocity of light from being reached (Max Born, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Einstein’s Theory of Relativity</i>, 277).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 9.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The primary difference between the Glorification and Einstein’s formula, is the infinite inertia of mass.
But I believe the infinite love of Jesus could overcome the the law of the
infinite inertia of mass. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 9.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: 31.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">In Einstien’s formula I would suggest
that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">m</i> (mass) corresponds to the body
of Jesus, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">v</i> (velocity)
corresponds to the accelerating love and wisdom of Jesus; <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">c</i>
(the speed of light) corresponds to reaching the infinite potential,
or making his body divine. The inertial resistance corresponds to the
barrier
between the natural world and the spiritual world, which physical
substance (a
body) cannot cross. Max Born’s statement about the infinite resistance
of
inertia preventing the speed of light being reached is a difference, but
in a
way it helps us appreciate the miraculous nature of the resurrection.
The exact
correspondence is that between mass becoming infinite and Jesus taking
his human
body into the spiritual world and merging with the divine, which is what
Jesus accomplished in the
resurrection. Jesus was able to do this because he entered into a love
that
never existed before, his love was divine and by utterly purifying his
body of all hereditary evil he as able to enter the innermost of
all things. His divine body merged with the divine essence of God. This
is the mystery of all mysteries and the greatest event in all History.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 9.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Swedenborg writes that Christ was the
only one to raise His corporeal body into the spiritual world and the only one
who ever will:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 31.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: 405.0pt; text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt;">He rose again on the
third day with His whole body; which does not take place with any man, for man
rises again only as to the spirit, but not as to the body. That man might know
and no one should doubt that the Lord rose again with His whole body…<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">He showed himself in His human body to the
disciples, saying to them, when they believed they saw a spirit: Behold, My
hands and My feet, that it is I myself; handle me and see, for spirit hath not
flesh and bones, as you see me have. And when He said this, He showed them his
hands and feet</i> (Luke 24:39,40) (A.C. 5078).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 9.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The Bible is careful to show that the
Lord’s has a divine body in transition after the resurrection. When Christ first appears to Mary after the
resurrection and she mistakes Him for a gardener, He says to her, “Do not touch
me, for I have not yet risen to My Father”. Afterward He invites the disciples
to touch His body. As in the above quote to prove to the disciples further that
He rose with His whole body He told Thomas to thrust his hand into His side
(John 20:27,28). For the same purpose, in front of the disciples, He ate fish
and honeycomb proving He had natural qualities (Luke 24:41-43). He also
‘appeared to them while the door was shut’ (John 20:19,26), in other words, He
walked through walls indicating his body had divine qualities. It is also
significant that after He had been with the disciples for some time, suddenly
‘He became invisible’ (Luke 24:31). The Bible is laying out the attributes of
the Divine Human so that all generations can know that he resurrected His human
body and merged with the divine, thus becoming the divine human.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This process describes the resurrection of
Christ. In physics when the velocity of mass equals the speed of light then
theoretically mass becomes infinite, but this would mean infinite mass would
occupy all space and thereby destroy everything, which of course is impossible.
But in a spiritual way this makes sense, because Swedenborg writes that the
whole unverse is in the form of the Grand man, the divine human. This is another
subject, which I will write about in my next blog.</span></div>
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influxdivine.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14870924275514690203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060413301124356383.post-14824592551128215352015-03-29T03:24:00.004-07:002015-03-29T03:26:29.563-07:00Why Biblical Themes of Christ are Repeated in Movies and the Spiritual Need they Fill<br />
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In seminary my class
was given the assignment to write a paper on our personal theology. In response
to my paper the professor said that I had a ‘Star Wars’ theology. I suggested
to him that “I think it is the other way around; Star Wars got its ideas from
the Bible”. I believe Biblical themes have an intrinsic place in the human soul
and psyche, and it is fascinating to observe how this comes out in stories and
film. What follows below is not by any means a scientific survey of the
subject, but simply the observations from an average man’s engagement in pop
culture.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The most moving theme of the Bible, and also
of life, is redemption; redemption is the central theme of the Christ story,
and all the other themes circle around it. Whenever we hear a story of true
sacrifice for love, honor, or the life of another we can not help but be moved
deeply; it is a basic response of the goodness in the human soul to honor true
sacrifice - and deep down I believe this universal response comes from the Lord
within us. A good example of this is in superman: as the military captain flies
the ‘package’ into the world engine (to destroy it) he says, “a good death is
its own reward”. This affirms the spiritual value of honor, and giving one’s
life for another. On this point Swedenborg writes:</div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Every citizen or subject is
united to his king by obeying his commands and precepts; and more so if he endures
hardships for him; and still more if he suffers death for him, as men do in
war. In the same way friend is united to friend, son to father, and servant to
master, by acting according to their wishes; still more by defending them
against enemies; and more yet by fighting for their honor. Is not one united to
the maiden whom he is wooing when he fights with those who defame her, and
contends even to wounds with his rival? It is according to an inherent law of
nature that they are united by such means. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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(The word King,
which was appropriate for Sweden in the time of Swedenborg, could be replaced
with ‘nation’ or ‘community’). The principle Swedenborg expresses above relates
to the Lord saying in the Bible: “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd layeth
down his life for the sheep. Therefore doth My Father love Me” (John 10:11-
17). The depiction in stories and movies of heroes that are willing to
sacrifice themselves and save the world evoke the intense love and bond that
comes with the acknowledgement of the heroes deeds, know-how, and skill. We are
moved to tears by their skill and deeds even if we have seen the same story a
hundred times, and even if it is not great art. There is perhaps nothing more
internally compelling to a child then a father or mother who cares for them so
much that they will die for them. And everyone of us still has this child
inside that yearns for this care, and hopefully is willing to do it for
another. Here are some examples in movies: In the movie ‘Armagedon’ there is
the self sacrifice of the Father Figure (Bruce Willis) who forcible takes the
place of his future son in law so his son in law can live and marry his
daughter; he is left behind on a meteor by himself to ignite the bomb that will
save the world; in the Matrix there is the wondrous skill and spiritual mastery
of ‘The One’ (Keanu Reeves) that saves the world. In ‘Signs’ the young girl
helps save the world because she has been intuitively led to leave water cups
around the house (and it turns out that water destroys the aliens); also the
young man in ‘Signs’ saves his family with his prodigal skill for swinging the
bat; in ‘Independence Day’ the drunk, worthless father sacrifices himself by
flying into the power source of the alien ship; There are similar themes in the
Terminator, The Fifth Element, Iron Man, The Avengers, Captain America, Men In
Black, and many others. There are also great stories of personal sacrifice in
more life-like stories. In these stories we are deeply moved because of the
battle we all go through to find ourselves, overcome hardships, and see meaning
in our lives. We see this in movies like ‘Shawshank Redemption’, ‘Lone
Survivor’, ‘The green Mile’, and thousands of others. These stories so often
center around Military and police men and woman, because they are the ones most
often in harms way, and most of them have dedicated themselves to the honor and
safety of their country or community, and are willing to sacrifice their lives
for others. When we hear the story of the soldier that jumped on a grenade to
save his companions we cannot help but feel love and honor for the man and his
deed. How much more are we moved to honor Jesus Christ - for He from his own
might saved all humanity from eternal darkness.</div>
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It may seem odd that
I am bringing comic book stories, fantasy, and pop movies into a study of the
Bible. But it is really not so odd. G.K. Chesterson wrote a long time ago an
essay called, “In defense of Penny dredfuls”. (Penny dreadfuls are stories for
adolescents that can be compared to pulp fiction in America.) In it he writes:
“The simple need for some kind of ideal world in which fictitious persons play
an unhampered part is infinitely deeper and older than the rules of good art,
and much more inportant. Every one of us has constructed such an invisible
dramatis personae. Literature is a luxery; fiction is a necessity”. He argues
that common novels that engage these themes are invaluable to the imagination
and inner development of youth and adults wether they are well written or not:
“That is to say, they do precisely the same thing as Scott’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ivanhoe</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lady of the Lake</i>, Byron’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Corsair</i>,
Wordworth’s, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rob Roy’s Grave</i>,
Stevenson’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Macaire</i>, Mr. Max
Pemberton’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Iron Pirate</i>, and
thousands of more books…It is the modern literature of the educated, not of the
uneducated, which is avowedly and aggressively criminal…The vast mass of
humanity have never doubted and never will doubt that courage is splendid, that
fedelity is noble, that distressed ladies should be rescued, and vanquished
enemies spared. There are a large number of cultivated persons who doubt these
maxims of daily life.”</div>
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Although
circumstances have changed when Chesterson wrote this, the spirit of what he is
saying very much applies today. In a later essay called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Orthodoxy </i>he extends his argument to Christianity and attempts to
explain the immediacy that continually fuels the inner need to engage Biblical
themes:</div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">All Christianity concentrates on the man at the
cross-roads. The vast and shallow philosophies talk about ages and evolutions
and ultimate developments. The true philosophy is concerned with the instant.
Will a man take this road or that?...The instant is really aweful: and it is
because our religion has intensely felt the instant, that it has in literature
dealt much with battle and in theology dealt much with hell. It is full of
danger, like a boy’s book: it is at an immortal crises. There is a great deal
of similarity between popular fiction and the religion of the western people
(Jacobs, 124).</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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It is inevitable
that Biblical themes are told by our most creative people. Pop culture is
market driven. Whether the writers and producers of these movies are Christian
or not, or whether they are conscience of the source of these themes, they know
what moves people inside – they know what sells to the masses. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sex sells, but so does the deep inner desire
for redemption by superheroes. Carl Jung made a big point of revealing story
tellers that wrote genuinely from the creative imagination; he made the
distinction of stories that were archetypal from the collective unconscious,
and thereby had universal appeal to people, and those that were conscious
creations (more manipulative). This is certainly an important point, but I
don’t think we have to concern our self laboring to identify this quality with
each book or movie. Rather, for our purposes we can go by the receiving end,
that is, what is continually compelling to people in the market place. </div>
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In
regard to the subject
of the Bible and myth I think Carl Jung missed something essential; he
seemed
to believe in Christ as a real man, but not as divine. To my knowledge
he treated
the Bible as Myth, and psychologized it. He believed in God within the
individual but not in God as both within and without, and that He is the
creator of all things. C. S. Lewis was also a master of myth, Medeival
literature,
fantasy and loved these kinds of books. In the early part of his life he
considered
himself an atheist. But unlike Jung, he gradually come to the conclusion
that
the Bible was true history, not myth, he had to come to intellectual
terms with
the Bible as history. This made all the difference for him. C.S. Lewis
became a
passionate Christian while retaining his love of myth and fantasy. He
strove to
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">live</i> the Christian values.</div>
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Most people assume
that C. S. Lewis wrote his stories, especially the Narnia Chronicles, with a
conscious intention to create Christian allegories (as I did). But he writes
over and over again that it was not this way; in regard to the Narnia stories
he writes:</div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Some people seem to think that I began by asking
myself how I could say something about Christianity to children; then fixed on
the fairy tale as an instrument; then collected information about child
psychology and decided what age group I would write for; then drew up a list of
basic Christian truths and hammered out “allegories” to embody them. This is
pure moonshine. I couldn’t write in that way at all (The Narnian, Jacobs, 244).</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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Lewis strove to do
something far more risky, courageous, and self revealing in these stories. He
wrote: “It is better not to ask the questions (what allegories are god for
children) at all. Let the pictures show you their own moral. For the moral
inherent in them will rise from whatever spiritual roots you have succeeded in
striking during the whole course of your life”. This is very profound to
contemplate. Lewis biographer, Alan Jacobs, writes about this: </div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The moral
inherent in them will rise from whatever spiritual roots you have succeeded in
striking during the whole course of your life”. </i>This is terrifying, or
liberating: liberating in that one need not expose oneself to the sanctimonious
drudgery of drawing up lists of Christian truths…But terrifying because as
those images rise from your mind you discover what you are really made
of…Trusting the images, you find out who you are” (Jacobs, 244).</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-no-proof: yes;">In the spirit of these ideas below in my next bog I will attempt to identify
themes from movies that are likely Biblical in origin. </span>
influxdivine.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14870924275514690203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060413301124356383.post-71522405166190543462015-03-25T16:56:00.002-07:002015-03-25T17:00:35.717-07:00The Nature of Determinisim In the Times Before the Coming Jesus, and Why This Always Appears in Times of Darkness
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">In the times before Jesus was born on earth the people had
become almost completely external in character. This external character extends
to all levels of society in the mediteranean, and to all its nations and
ethnicities, including the Greeks and Romans. In this article I will focus on
one major aspect of the externalization – Determinism. We can talk about other
factors in another article. Whenever a people descend into an external nature
determinsim appears. A the end of this article I will show how this appears on
movies too. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Among the thinkers in the century before Jesus was born
there was an assumed determinism that was prevalent in their writing, even when
they are striving to philosophize on freedom. Meeks in “The Moral World of
First Century Christians” demonstrates this qualitie among the philosophers.
For example, there is a famous speech in which the roman stoic Epictetus
responded to a young man who considered becoming a cynic. To be a cynic was the
most individualistic of ancient philosophical movements, but Epictetus cannot
think past the determinism of the times, which is symptomatic of the lack of
internal freedom. Meeks quotes Epictetus’s speech:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">“You are a calf; when a lion appears, do what is
expected of you; otherwise you will smart for it. You are a bull; come on and
fight, for this is expected of you, it befits you, and you are able to do it.
You are able to lead the host against Illium; be Agamenon. You are able to
fight a duel against Hector; be Achelles. But if Thersites came along and
claimed command, either he would not have got it, or if he had, he would have
disgraced himself in the presence of a multitude of witnesses” (Epictetus,
Discourses 3.22.5-8).</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meeks goes on to comment:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Honor and shame were the reciprocal sentiments
that enforced the unwritten rules of these continual transactions. It is enough
for Epictetus to say, in his hypothetical example of a man seizing a role which
he is unsuited, that Thersites would have put himself to shame before a
‘multitude of witnesses’. For a slave or freedman to put on airs like a
freeborn citizen marked him as shameless. For an emperor to give performances
like an actor or musician, as Nero is said to have done, was a public shame.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">In the Bible the same cultural value is
represented when Jesus says:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">And which of you, having a servant plowing or
tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at
once and sit down to eat’? But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare
something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and
drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does he thank that servant
because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. So likewise
you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are
unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do (Luke 17: 7-10).</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Determinism is inherent in the society, because the people
are entrenched in an external way of thinking and being. Ancient determinism is
very different than modern determinism, because the later is based on the
psychological principle that we are formed by childhood experiences, which is a
strongly individualistic and inwardly contemplative mode of being that is
nowhere in the ancients thinking. Ancient determinism is communal; it comes
from the belief that they were born into their life roles and there is nothing
they can or should do about it. In their heart the people did not contemplate
pangs of conscience, or how they could change their econmic status, their
mindset accepted their role and place and tried to improve their status within
their strada of society.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">This gives an idea how the people were externally motivated
in almost all their actions. Everywhee Swedenborg emphasizes the external
nature of their worship: “It certainly was not anything internal which affected
them, for they did not know at all, nor indeed wish to know, what was
internal…”(A.C. 4293). Similarly Malina says, “The New Testament depicts
persons and events concretely, from the outside, so to say. They avoid
introspection as uninteresting, and evaluate behavior on the basis of
externally perceptible activity…” Malina goes on to describe how our western
idea of conscience is different than the Mediterranean:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: 13.5pt; margin-right: 27.0pt; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Conscience (for the New testament person) is
sensitivity to what others think about and expect of a person; it is another
word for shame in the positive sense…This is the group embedded, group
oriented, dyadic personality, one who needs another simply to know who he or
she is…anything unique that goes on inside a person is filtered out of
attention. Individual psychology, individual uniqueness, and individual
self-consciousness are simply dismissed as uninteresting, and unimportant
(Molina, ).</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 1.0pt; margin-left: -.1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">This mindset at the time goes hand in hand with the general
societal resignation to cruelty, and to the acceptance of dark forces. We shall
see many examples of this further on. Below is an example from an incidental
letter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">In “The Jesus of History”, the author T. R. Glover, gives us
a glimpse of how the day-to-day mindset of the Mediterranean is different than
today. He quotes from a letter that is dated September 1 AD by a man named
Hilarion, an Egyptian Greek, to his wife Alis:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">“Know that we are still even now in Alexandria.
Do not fidget, if, at the general return, I stay in Alexandria. I pray and
beseech you, take care of the little child, and as soon as we have our wages, I
will send you up something. If you are delivered, if it was a male let it live;
if it was a female cast it out…How can I forget you? So don’t fidget”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Glover comments:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">The letter is not an unkind one…And then it ends
with the suggestion, inconceivable to us today, that if the baby is a girl it
need not be kept. It can be put out either on the land or the river left to the
Kite or the crocodile…it is not the exceptional thing that gives the character
of an age. It is the kind of thing that we take for granted and assume to be
normal that shows our character (64, Glover).</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Leaving a child to
exposure to die is very common in Athenian comic plays in the third and forth
century, recurring over and over in the plots. Plato in his ideal constitution
recommended that the marriage between young couples be made by the government,
and that if infants were not good enough, they be put away where they will not
be found. Aristotle made the same recommendation (65, Glover). These examples
of the cruelty of the times only scratch the service. Looking into the life and
times of emperors of Rome such as Tiberias and Caligula reveal an incredible
depth of perverse cruelty and an insane level of jadedness to death and
blood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Greek God of the underworld
Hades was a dark and cruel figure that was an expression of the cultures obsession
with death and darkness.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span></span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the latest supeman movie, “Man of Steel”, this
theme is a very large part of the back story of Kripton. It is told that the people
of Kripton had adapted in such a way that they tightly controlled child birth.
Every child was born under<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>government
control with a predetermined purpose, - some workers, some leaders, some trades
people and so on. Zod, the military ruler of Kripton, angrily expresses
throughout his scenes that his sole purpose for eixstance from birth was to
perseve Kripton, and he is a warrior who will destroy everything in his way
that would keep him from that purpose. Also, in the beginning of the movie when
Zod and his officers are sentenced for their crimes by the counsel, their
sentence is forever - no possibility of release or attempt to rehabilitate.
This is so because the counsel knows Zod’s purpose, and that he cannot be
reformed. This is significant because with the Romans and other mediteranean
nations at the time the jadedness toward cuelty was a natural extension of
determinism. The belief that they have a pre-determined purpose led to a great
devaluing of life. This theme is also in ‘The Terminator’, and the ‘Matrix’.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
influxdivine.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14870924275514690203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060413301124356383.post-47481910195667914892015-03-24T00:43:00.001-07:002015-03-24T13:40:21.038-07:00Greatness of Constitution for Life and Freedom<span data-reactid=".3.1:3:1:$comment10204526327890635_10204540523765523:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".3.1:3:1:$comment10204526327890635_10204540523765523:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".3.1:3:1:$comment10204526327890635_10204540523765523:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".3.1:3:1:$comment10204526327890635_10204540523765523:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0"><span data-reactid=".3.1:3:1:$comment10204526327890635_10204540523765523:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">Constitution
based on freedom and responsibility. It champions the fighting spirit
in people, and tethers our nation to God and fair play. Freedom,
responsibility are married in the constitution, which gives the greatest
place for passion and goodness </span></span><span data-reactid=".3.1:3:1:$comment10204526327890635_10204540523765523:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3"><span data-reactid=".3.1:3:1:$comment10204526327890635_10204540523765523:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0"><span data-reactid=".3.1:3:1:$comment10204526327890635_10204540523765523:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$0:0">to
flourish. In democracy and capitalism under the constitution both good
and evil have to win on the free market, which allows Gods plan and
presence to be in greater light, because evil can not so readily hide in
this system, and good shines brighter. For instance, when we see men
like Obama disrespect the constitution it is hurtful, but it also fires
our passion to uphold it. In Socialism and communism the fighting
spirit is watered down. These systems believe in relativism, which
justifies being lukewarm. The Lord asks us to be hot or cold. Being
lukewarm is the passionless , just seeking a free-ride, dissociating
from life. The constitution is the opposite, it leads us to be on point,
and to develop spiritual intelligence, goodness and fairness, to use
our spiritual gifts from God. The Declaration states that we have enalianable rights given to us by God. The reason America is great and exceptional is because we declare as a nation that we are under God. The declaration and constitution are covenants with God made by the founding fathers, and by all who honor this agreement. This has made America a spiritual and moral light to the world, and to continue in it we must honor and uphold it.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> Jesus told Thomas, ‘you know
the way’. We know the way by the gifts in our soul given to us by God. </span></div>
influxdivine.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14870924275514690203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060413301124356383.post-73192471225934151732015-03-17T23:22:00.003-07:002015-04-14T20:46:12.960-07:00Corespondences Between the One Spiritual Sun of Heaven and the Natural Suns of the Universe<br />
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: -.25in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> Correspondence means that everything in the
natural world is the result of its counterpart in the spiritual world; the
object in the spiritual world being the first cause of what is in the natural
world. Everything in nature that is connected to its counterpart in the
spiritual world, yet separated by a discreet degree, is said to correspond. A
discreet degree can most readily be understood by our experience of the separation
between the earthly world and the spiritual world. For the most part we cannot
see, hear, or touch across this divide, but we can at times sense, feel, or
intuit across. A tree in the natural world is subject to the natural laws of
time and space, while the spiritual tree exists from the meaning it portrays
from the love in the soul of angels or spirits. It is more real than a tree
here because it is composed of spiritual substance and derived from love and
wisdom from the Lord. The very colors of flowers and homes, the plants and
animals that appear in a garden, are manifestations of what is in the soul of
the angel or angles present in that place. In heaven the objects are of a
beauty and light that surpasses what is on earth many times over. A tree there
is more real than a tree on earth because it is the internal of a tree. If one
grasps the implications of this one can see that all things that exist, exist
in relationship to human beings; the human form being the highest of all forms.
The same is true of things in nature on earth, but they are more remotely
reflected and less clear to our perception. </span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> For instance, contemplate for a moment hiking
up a wild and rugged mountain. The mountain itself is a challenge, and an
experience of beauty and danger. To reach the top a person must persevere. The
higher one goes up the mountain the more one can see of the landscape around.
There is, in seeing an expansive view, a natural delight and exhilaration that
anyone who makes the effort feels. This natural delight corresponds to the
spiritual joy of gaining higher perception of life. Mountains correspond to
heaven. The delight of gaining an elevated view on a mountain is the reflection
(correspondence) of spiritually gaining wisdom in one’s soul. Correspondence is
an essential operation in the universe, and the above is an example of how it
operates in our immediate life and experience. The ground gained to reach a
view on a mountain is not given up easily, but when it is it becomes one’s own
achievement. Similarly, internal perception requires attention and effort and
it results in real effect or change in the soul, whereas mere knowledge does
not. </span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> As another example, I will share an early
personal experience. I remember after graduating from high school and getting
ready to go to college, I reflected on all the friends I hung out with and came
to know well. I saw that in spite of all of our shortcomings, it was through my
interactions with them that I came to know myself. This thought was a beginning
of regeneration. It was a beginning of being able to accept others and myself
with all of our frailties, and there was a kind of beauty in this perception
because it was real, and there was not a stagnant feeling that this growth
could happen only with them. I had this epiphany as I looked at a rainbow in
the sky, and at the same time inwardly saw the comparison between my thought
and the rainbow. In a rainbow the beauty of light is revealed as it refracts
through little particles of water in the air, and thus the inner qualities of
light are made visible, and real to our perception. Swedenborg writes that
rainbows symbolize something very like this: “The reason that the appearance of
a rainbow is seen is that the natural things corresponding to their spiritual
present such an appearance. It is a modification of spiritual light from the
Lord in their natural things” (AC 1042). In a person this means that the
spiritual and natural must grow together, to grow at all. The spiritual becomes
one’s own when there is accord between the love we see and feel, and our
actions in life.</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> Correspondences happen in three realms of
life, the Word, the human form, and in nature. In each case a perception of
them is a sound way of gaining understanding. Perception is the moment when the
internal and external come into concordance in a person. It is very significant
to realize that perception involves the whole soul, and is a deeper way of
knowing. Perception is reception in the soul of truths from the Lord. In this
short article I will focus on providing an opportunity of perceiving
correspondences between the Sun, the earth, and the Lord.</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> The principle of correspondence is a
universal principle through which we can confidently gain knowledge about the
nature of the spiritual world and the earthly world. It is, if we apply it
thoughtfully, a readily accessible resource that can be read forward or
backward, that is, from heaven to earth, and visa versa. We can gain insight
into the dynamics of the spiritual world by the scientific processes we observe
in the natural world. This is the basic principle I am using in this essay. It
is at one and the same time, a spiritual and intellectual practice. By making
the effort to meditate into correspondence I have often felt light coming into
my heart and mind; it is a most comforting feeling anyone can feel.</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> The prime example of correspondence is
between the sun in the sky and the sun in the spiritual world. The heat and
light of the natural sun corresponds to love and wisdom from the spiritual sun.
We know the sun provides heat and light without which nothing could live. Suns
are the source of all energy and raw material for the entire natural world. All
the suns throughout the universe are the source of heat and light for their
respective solar systems, and beyond. In the spiritual world there is only one
sun and it is the one source of all life. It is the origin of life, and creates
the substance of life; the fundamental substance of life being love and wisdom
from the Lord in the midst of the spiritual sun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> The
natural suns are made of matter, are in time and space, and are innumerable,
whereas there is only one spiritual sun. This one sun is the one source of
everything. The reality that there is one spiritual sun and infinite natural
suns in the universe is a function of correspondence, in that the natural sun
cannot possibly reflect the infinite presence of the spiritual sun by size, so
it corresponds by <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">infinity of numbers</i>.
The reason for this is that in the natural world there is time and space, while
in the spiritual world everything is based on state of being, or quality of
love.</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> Science’s ability to penetrate some of the
secrets of physics that occur in the sun offers the opportunity to look deep
into potential correspondences. Science shows that everything that happens on
earth occurs by a process, and correspondingly Swedenborg demonstrates that
everything that occurs in the spiritual world occurs by a process. It is very
important to grasp this concept, and we can only do so by practicing on particular
examples. Humans have an ingrained habit of ‘magical thinking’ when it comes to
the spiritual world, meaning we tend to think that things just happen there,
that God makes them by the wave of the hand. But we know everything with humans
is a matter of gradual growth, and accomplished reciprocally; and that
everything in nature requires a process. It is the same in heaven: in heaven
people don’t just sit on a cloud and bask in God’s light, but experience
fulfillment through being useful in all the same type of occupations we have
here. Everything is relational in both worlds. Only in heaven people love each
other more than themselves.</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lets
look at the example of the sun again. Einstein discovered that the source of
the sun’s power is nuclear fusion. The sun’s mass is so enormous its gravity
causes unfathomable pressure and heat in its core. The pressure and heat cause
the atoms to accelerate to incredible speeds at close proximity. Hydrogen atoms
normally repel each other, but the heat and pressure at the core is so enormous
it causes the Hydrogen atoms to smash together and split, forming a new element
– helium. In the process they release heat, and light as photons, and the
massive power of the explosion seeks to expand to the surface of the sun. This
is nuclear fusion, the engine in the suns core. The sun is anything but static;
within the sun there is a constant tension, a raging battle between gravities
crushing inward force, and nuclear fusion’s immense expansive fire. But the two
forces settle into an equilibrium that lasts for billions of years, and
together provide all the elements in the universe, and the heat and light that
sustain life. </span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> It is a universal principle that that which
is created by the source has in it the inclination to repeat the form of the
source. The master example of this is that humans are made in the image of God.
The equilibrium between the forces of gravity and nuclear fusion in the sun
defines the form of the sun, and because the sun is the source, the form of
equilibrium is repeated in everything that exists. For anything to exist it has
to have a form, and anything that has form has some kind of equilibrium that is
the cause for that form. Based on this principle Swedenborg writes that just as
there is an infinite largeness there is also an infinite minuteness. There is
nothing so minute that there is not something smaller that is the substance
within it. For instance an atom is a form that has within it electrons,
neutrons and protons spinning around. As science keeps discovering, even the
protons and neutrons have smaller things that compose them, and there are
smaller things yet which compose these, and so on. It is beyond our ability to
comprehend infinite minuteness, but based on the principle of form, substance and
equilibrium we can see it must be true.</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> Equilibrium is in everything we see. The
human body and every organ in it has a certain equilibrium between the inside
forces of blood pressure and muscle tension, and the outside forces of gravity
and atmospheric pressure. A leaf on a tree has equilibrium in a similar way.
Anything we might look at is in a state of equilibrium, a chair, a light bulb,
a cell, a fiber, anything, because they have a form, and substance inside it.
The equations of Newton and Einstein work within equilibrium. The state of
equilibrium can always change, for instance if a bottle is broken, but its
pieces settle into another state of equilibrium. Swedenborg writes:</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
For any thing to have existence
there must be an equilibrium of all things. Without equilibrium there is no
action and reaction; for equilibrium is between two forces, one acting and the
other reacting, and the state of rest resulting from like action and reaction
is called equilibrium. In the natural world there is an equilibrium in all
things and in each thing. It exists in a general way even in the atmosphere,
wherein the lower parts react and resist in proportion as the higher parts act
and press down. Again, in the natural world there is an equilibrium between
heat and cold, between light and shade, and between dryness and moisture, the
middle condition being the equilibrium. There is also an equilibrium in all the
subjects of the three kingdoms of nature, the mineral, the vegetable, and the
animal; for without equilibrium in them nothing can come forth and have
permanent existence (Heaven and Hell, 589).</div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> Another correspondence we can see in the sun
has to do with the fact that the divine contains infinite variety, and is the
source of life. From the divine human in the spiritual sun manifests the
infinite variety and continual abundance of life, similarly, there is nothing
that exists in nature that is exactly the same as anything else. For instance,
science shows that snowflakes can be very similar, but never exactly the same.
It is the same with everything. There are no two human beings that are the
same, or ever will be. </span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> To see how suns are the source of all things
in nature, and the cause of variety, lets look more deeply at what happens in
the sun. Scientists teach that the nuclear fusion taking place in the sun is
the cause of all the elements of the universe. A sun like ours is only big
enough to produce helium, but stars bigger produce such massive gravity that
they have enough heat and pressure to create heavier elements such as sulfur
and iron. These heavier elements are only created in supernovas. The elements
are made by the incredible heat and energy released when the supernova
explodes. Scientists report that the heaviest of elements, such as Gold, are
made by the even more enormous explosions that occur when two neutron stars
collide. This is why the heavier Elements are more rare. These incredible
explosions send the elements out into the universe. And from these elements and
their infinite combinations, all the things in the universe originate -
planets, galaxies, new stars, and all living things. Scientists describe
supernovas as the mother of all substances and objects in the universe. From
this information we get an idea of the essential correspondence between God as
the source of all things and their infinite variety, and the sun as the source
of the abundance and variety in nature. </span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> In my experience correspondence never fails;
we simply have to dig into understanding them. Below is another interesting
correspondence. In this correspondence we can compare the dynamics between;
one, the divine in the spiritual sun and the reception of Him where angels
live; and, two, the natural sun and the dynamics of how humans on earth receive
light and heat from the sun. Swedenborg writes:</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
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Divine
love in the spiritual world appears to the sight of angels like the sun, as far
distant from them as the sun of our world is from men. If therefore God, who is
in the midst of that sun, were to come close to angels, they would perish just
as men would if the sun of the world came close to them, for it is equally
burning. For this reason there are constant controls which modify and moderate
the burning heat of that love, so that its radiation should not reach heaven
undiluted, since this would consume the angels. When therefore the Lord makes
His presence more immediately felt in heaven, the irreligious beneath heaven
begin to complain, suffering torture and fainting, so that they take refuge in
caves and fissures in the mountains (TCR, 691).</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> This corresponds to the fact that where there
is life on a planet there must be the right distance from the sun, and also, a
certain delicate balance of characteristics on the planet that protect the life
there. Earth being at the perfect distance from the sun is a clear
correspondence, but there are many more subtle comparisons to be made. For
instance scientist have discovered how essential the magnetic field of the
earth is to protecting life against the power of solar flares and radiation. (When
solar flares are too big people on earth complain that they take out our
electrical systems.) The motion of molten magma inside the earth causes a
rather weak magnetic field around earth, but this magnetic field is strong
enough to form a barrier around the earth that deflects harmful solar
radiation. Also, just the right tilt of the earth’s axis creates the seasons
around the globe, which is important for many things, especially maintaining
moderate temperatures, a variety of climates for life, and especially a stable
atmosphere. These factors, plus just the right amount of water on earth,
produce a healthy atmosphere that provides essential protection from the sun’s
radiation. The moon provides essential protection for earth by stabilizing its
rotation on its axis; without this life would be thrown into dramatic cycles of
destruction, mostly due to sudden huge temperature changes, and loss of a
stable atmosphere. All of these factors, and many more, work together to
maintain a delicate balance; they correspond to the ‘constant controls which
modify and moderate’ the burning heat and light of the spiritual sun from
harming angels. I am not a physicist, but we can see these correspondences
readily enough on the level of principle. The more detailed one’s knowledge of
science the deeper the correspondences that can be seen.</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> Now we look to the ultimate source of
equilibrium that makes it a universal correspondence, and demonstrates the
connectedness of all things. Inside the spiritual sun there is also an infinite,
dynamic marriage that is the source of life. This is the Holy marriage between
the Lord’s divine essence and his divine human. This is the Holy of Holies.
From this marriage radiates Holy fire, which is the cause of the spiritual
sun’s light and heat (wisdom and love). The powerful forces we described inside
the natural sun give us a glimpse, by correspondences, of the unfathomably
powerful union inside the spiritual son. The equilibrium in the natural sun
corresponds to the Holy marriage in the spiritual sun; except, of course, the
forces inside the natural son are not alive; they are material and energy
based, but in the spiritual sun life comes from the source itself, the divine
human, Jesus Christ. This is the mother of all correspondences. </span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 9.0pt; margin-right: 40.5pt; margin-top: 0in;">
In the Sun there,
which is from Himself, is Divine fire, which is the Divine good of the Divine
love. From that Sun is Divine light, which is Divine truth from Divine good.
(AC 8644).</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">That the union in the spiritual sun is
holy, and in its interiors most holy, is very evident from the fact that in
every detail of it there is the heavenly marriage, that is, the marriage of
good and truth, thus heaven; and that in every detail of the inmost sense there
is the marriage of the Lord’s Divine Human with His kingdom and church; nay, in
the supreme sense there is the union of the Divine Itself and the Divine Human
in the Lord (AC 6343).</span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin-left: -.25in; tab-stops: -.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> It is as if His body (Jesus)
is the candle and his essence (God) the wick, and the marriage of them produces
the Holy fire from which radiates infinite love and wisdom. This bond, or
marriage, and resulting Holy fire, causes the form of the spiritual sun. The
Holy bond between Jesus and God was forged (in all wonder, pain, joy, and
beauty) in the glorification process while Jesus was on earth. In the
resurrection the Lords body was made divine, and merged with the divine
essence. What radiates from the spiritual sun around the Lord is the universal
spiritual substance of life, - love and wisdom – just as heat and light radiate
from the natural sun. Love and wisdom are spiritual in nature; indeed they are
the indivisible spiritual substance of life, not abstractions. </span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent3">
This idea bears repeating in another way so that it
might penetrate our understanding.
The source of life and creation is the Holy marriage within the Lord, and this
core reality descends by correspondences from the divine to the physical. The
equilibrium that constitutes the form of all things in nature originates from the Lord in the form of the spiritual sun, and we get a glimpse of the mightiness of Him in the power power of the physical suns in the universe.
The implications of this are limitless, but we can begin by saying that
spiritually the divine of the Lord is intrinsic in our life and in nature, and
thus, if we are receptive to Him, can be seen or experienced through all things
such as a rainbow or climbing a mountain. </div>
influxdivine.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14870924275514690203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060413301124356383.post-23059242677258124382015-03-15T00:51:00.000-07:002015-03-15T01:04:48.130-07:00The Matrix Gives Best Depiction of the Glorification Process of All Movies
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 15.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-no-proof: no;">The theme of the glorification
is hinted at in many films at their conclusions when they show the hero or
situation fading into pure light. In <i>Platoon</i>, the hero, in a helicopter,
fades into the pure light of the sun as his voice-over submits to seeking goodness;
in <i>The Peaceful Warrior, </i>the master passes away by turning into pure
light. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 15.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-no-proof: no;">The common
way the glorification is represented is by superhuman feats the hero performs,
particularly if these deeds have to do with saving the world. In <i>The Matrix</i>
(the first film of the <i>Matrix Trilogy)</i> Neo does this when he saves his
fellow rebel and beloved, Trinity, by hanging on to a cable from a crashing
helicopter, trusting she will cut it and hang on. In <i>The Avengers</i> Iron
Man swoops in and catches an atom bomb<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>and then directs into the heart of the enemy ship and thereby saves the
world. Also, when Superman saves several men from certain death when he walks
through fire and holds up an enormous tower as they are saved by a helicopter.
This is glorious because “the One” has the skill and awareness to perform the
feat that saves the world. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 15.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-no-proof: no;">The theme of
superhuman powers is most like the glorification when it is combined with the
hero’s willingness to sacrifice his or her life for others. But there is much
more to the process of the glorification that the Lord went through, and there
are only a few films I know of that depict greater particulars of the
glorification.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 15.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-no-proof: no;">Often, the
glorification process is represented in film by the hero having the power to
enter the heart of the enemies abode when this seems the most impossible thing
to do, but by doing so he destroys the evil forces from within. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 15.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-no-proof: no;">Superman does
this when he enters the power beam from the world engine that is transforming
earth into Kripton. With incredible determination, Superman flies up through
the heart of the beam—withstanding its massive force—and begins to move upward.
He strains higher and higher into the light until he reaches the world engine
and destroys it. When the deed is accomplished, the captain of the army says,
“He did it,” similar to Jesus saying, “It is finished.” (Similarly in <i>The
Matrix</i>, when Neo has finally destroyed Smith, the leader of the Machine
World, he says, “It is done”). In the Bible, these words signify Jesus
accomplishing his glorification. Superman is then shown in a peaceful, colorful
scene lying down with the rays of the sun on him as he reaches toward its pure
light, (a trope in many hero films). Superman is known to get much of his power
from the earths sun. One of the reasons this scene is so meaningful and
powerful is that Jesus is the Divine Human in the midst of the spiritual sun in
the spiritual world, and from it provides life for all living things. In the
transfiguration and other places, the Lord is described as shining like the
sun.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 15.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-no-proof: no;">To a lesser
extent, the remake of <i>The Day the Earth Stood Still</i> pursues this
theme when ‘“the one who can save the world,” an alien named Klaatu, becomes
convinced of the goodness in humanity and fights his way against the swarm
(which is certain to consume the earth in darkness) and dares to enter the
heart of the alien mother ship. He is shown at the end fading into pure light,
and the swarm recedes and leaves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 15.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-no-proof: no;">The best film
in this genre to depict some of the details in the process of the glorification
is <i>The Matrix</i>. Prophecies are an important part of the glorification of
Jesus. In <i>The Matrix</i> the theme of prophecy is essential and well
developed. In it “The One” is the person who can and does fulfill the
prophecies just as Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies told about him in the Old
Testament. Simply put, prophecy is divine truth from God, and whoever fulfills
prophecy is from God, and as he or she accomplishes each fulfillment she or he
comes closer to oneness with God. The Lord’s process was not a forgone
conclusion—a common misconception; it was an enormous battle and struggle in
doubt from moment to moment. When he fulfills the last temptation on the cross
He says, “It is finished,” meaning that he made his human body divine and returned
to oneness with the Father, which is the culmination of the glorification of
Christ. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 15.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-no-proof: no;">In the first
film of the <i>Matrix Tilogy</i>, Neo’s status as The One is constantly in
doubt, but He gradually performs the deeds as no one but the Divine can. His
status as The One is confirmed when he is Killed by the agents, but then
resurrects from the dead and has gained exponentially greater powers - which he
then demonstrates by defeating three agents with supernatural power.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 15.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-no-proof: no;">In the last
movie, in spite of everyone telling him he is insane except a few who believe
in him, Neo travels into the heart of the evil realm of the machines. This
comparable to Jesus descending to hell, and the disciples pleading with him not
enter Jerusalem where he will be killed. As he is walking closer to face the
power center of the machines, the image switches between a realistic view of
metal walkways, scrambling insect machines, grey cables and such - to Neo’s
inner vision, which is burning light that depicts perceiving and entering the
internal of all things. He at once submits to and transcends the power of the
machines, and they allow him to battle the multiplying agents alone, for they
know he is the only one who can do it. He gives himself up, and trusting in the
truth. This compares to Jesus allowing the religious leaders to capture and
torture Him, and entering the last temptation. Neo then has a royal battle with
the evil agents, and defeats them by the power of his light and truth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Swedenborg tells only the might of the Lord
from divine truth can battle against and defeat the forces of evil. This is why
Neo alone can do this. All of these events are allegories of the glorification
of Christ.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 15.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-no-proof: no;">One of the
scenes that makes the <i>Matrix</i> the greatest representation of the
glorification occurs at the end of the battle between Neo and his nemesis,
agent Smith. Smith presses his hand into Neo (as he has done to many others
during the movie) and a suffocating blackness consumes inside and out. This
blackness represents the over -accumulation of hereditary evil that is
overtaking the world and each person. As Swedenborg said in reference to the
accumulation of evil on earth before Christ came, if Jesus had not stopped it
humanity would have eternally lost in darkness. Smith attacking is the moment
Neo has been waiting for, for when the evil consumes him - it also gives him
access to all evil and with divine power enters the innermost and defeats their
forces from within. Neo is then shown in the machine city lying in the cross
position in pure burning light and the machine voice says, “It is finished,”
just as Jesus says when he has accomplished his glorification. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 15.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-no-proof: no;">This victory corresponds to
Jesus purifying his body of all hereditary evil, subjugating all the forces of
evil, and especially expanding his presence infinitely by entering the natural
level of reality, that is, the innermost of all things in all the universe. In
this way Neo in the movie, and Jesus in the world, renewed all things of heaven
and earth. Jesus, by his supreme act of love and skill made his human body
divine, merging it with the divine of God, which is the glorification; He also
released all the captives in the false heavens of the spiritual world, which is
redemption, and He restored spiritual freedom to the whole world. Simulerly,
Neo embodies divine power, he redeemed all of Zion (the land of non-subjugated
humans outside of the Machine) and released all the captives that were held so
long in the pods, and restored freedom to everyone. This release is confirmed
at the end of the movie where the Oracle asks the Architect if he will release
all the people in the pods, and he says, “What do you think I am—Human”. Then
at the very end there is a salvation scene in which the Oracle and the little
girl take great pleasure in a suddenly beautiful and colorful land.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 15.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
influxdivine.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14870924275514690203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6060413301124356383.post-59595054683328758472015-03-12T10:03:00.002-07:002015-03-12T10:03:56.270-07:00Part Two: The Dark Underbelly of a Cult; How it Works, and Recovery - My experience <style>
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<div class="Body" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: -4.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I suffered a great deal from this experience. I worked hard
to recover, because I suffered from post-traumatic stress. To recover I
practiced many things: I entered therapy, I practiced yoga; I worked with a
Rosen therapy practitioner, and I studied Buddhism and theology. I especially
loved Swedenborg because he wrote about the internal sense of Christianity. I
was compelled to write a book about my cult experience for the sake of processing
it. To write the book I had to relive it, and as I did so, I took charge of the
story, which is psychologically empowering. While I was writing the book I
constantly held the reader in mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="Body" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: -4.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body" style="line-height: normal; margin-left: -4.5pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-text-raise: 9.0pt; position: relative; top: -9.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For four
years I worked on the book, which started with a childhood section, continuing
all the way through recovery after leaving. The process of writing about many
dark and painful memories was very difficult, yet creative, and became a
spiritual practice of its own. I remembered long detailed scenes and dialogue
by fully feeling and thereby remembering. I wanted to be a responsible narrator
and developed a babit of semi-consciously writing to a figure up and to the
left of me. I had an inner compulsion to tell the story, and by so doing heal
my psyche and, hopefully, help others with similar experiences. I began to feel
a give and take with this figure, giving myself compasion as I relived my experiences
in mind and in writing. I was giving myself the understanding and love I had
not received. I <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>gained deep peceptions and
memories of how it all worked. I was striving, each time I wrote, one word, one
page, one paragraph at a time, to give myself compassion. </span></span></span></div>
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</span>During this time, for two years, I had a wonderful writing coach, and
one day she asked me my writing process. I began to tell her about the figure
up to the left of me that I wrote to – and it opened up, and light flooded me
and intense joy filled my heart. The more I tried to tell her about it the more
it opened up. I just cried with joy. I could see light, and feel God’s
presence, a burning love. Knowing he was there - that presence I had been
attending to the whole time in my mind -<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>meant that he had always been there, and would always be there. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-text-raise: 9.0pt; position: relative; top: -9.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
was a seminal experience for me which lead me toward fully embracing Christ as
the Redeemer and Savior.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The
years I spent processing and getting a handle on my own suffering, are a
bondless source of compassion for the patients I see now as a chaplain. The
suffering and despair I felt during, and while recovering, helps me a great
deal to be present with the feelings of others. I am not afraid of going deep
with them into feeling. I desire to do it, if it is there, and this creates a
sense of permission and safety for the patient. At the same time I pray that
the presence of the Holy Spirit tethers our experience to the redemptive
quality of the Lord. </span></span></div>
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