new church life: jan uary/february 2017
individual differences of opinions are managed well society benefits from the
contribution of their ideas. On the other hand, if they are not handled well
they can trigger conflict which can negatively impact the lives of people. The
Heaven Doctrines state:
All things of the human mind, and with them the interiors of all things of the
spirit, are capable of being turned either downwards or upwards. They are turned
downwards when man loves himself above all things; and they are turned upwards
when he loves the Lord above all things. This is an actual turning. Man from himself
turns them downwards, while the Lord from Himself turns them upwards. The
ruling love is what turns. Thoughts do not turn the interiors of the mind except so
far as they are derived from the will. That all this is true man does not know; and
yet he ought to know it in order that he may understand how he is led out of hell
and led into heaven by the Lord. (Apocalypse Explained 1163)
We may ask ourselves, who is Abram whose name was later changed to
Abraham? And why is his admonition regarding conflict very necessary in our
lives today? It is a well-known fact that Abram is a revered religious figure in
all the major religions in the world, and the Word describes him as “a Father
of many nations.” (Genesis17:4-5) In the Arcana Coelestia, we learn that he
represents the Lord. (# 1989, 2569) And in details, “The Lord is the Creator,
that He created the heavens and earth, also that He creates new ones; and
man is said to be a new creature.” (Spiritual Experiences 4837) Therefore, the
revelation that Abram represents the Lord implies that what he said in regard
to conflict can be described as an instruction manual for human beings to use
to guide their lives in this world.
And the Biblical record indicates that the father of Abram was Terah, and
after the death of his father the Lord ordered Abram to leave Haran and go to
a foreign land called Canaan. And he humbly complied with what the Lord
commanded him to do. (Genesis 11:27-32 and 12:1-3)
Abram acted in accordance with the Lord because the people of Haran
were worshipping idolatrous gods; and the Lord intended to raise a new
generation of human beings that could obey His commandments so that a
new church could be formed. (Joshua 24:1-3)
We are informed: “Haran means interior idolatrous worship.” (Arcana
Coelestia 1367) So Abram’s departure from Haran was to enable him to
position a new foundation to serve the Lord. We read in the Word: “Then
the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him: To your descendants I will give
this land. And there he built an altar to the Lord who had appeared to him.”
(Genesis 12:7) The Heavenly Doctrine explains:
In the Word the land of Canaan means the church . . . and the church is with those
only who are in spiritual good and at the same time in natural good; in such the
church is formed by the Lord; for the church is in man and not outside of him,
consequently is not with those with whom these goods are not. These goods with
their delights are signified by “milk and honey.” (Apocalypse Explained 619:7)
28