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interactions , we find good in one another .”
Opening our minds and hearts to our neighbors “ has to start with a desire to listen , to understand and to be tolerant of different points of view , and a desire to be reasonable , patient and respectful .”
Sounds like the recent Journey campaign on Mindful Communication ( Is it true ? Is it kind ? Is it useful ?) It sounds just like the Golden Rule – not framed on a wall but brought down into life . It is that simple . And it is that profound .
( BMH ) distinctiveness redux
One of the main purposes in the founding of the Academy and General Church was to create a New Church culture distinct from that of the world around it . The goal was not to be exclusive , but for the life of the Church community – in marriages , families , education and social life – to be as clearly distinct from the existing culture as New Church doctrines are from traditional Christian teaching .
If elements of aloofness or elitism crept in , that was not the intent ; although , given our fallen human heredity , some degree of distortion of the ideal was perhaps inevitable . But a misapplication of something that serves a good purpose does not mean that it is not useful when properly observed . Distinctiveness that comes from within , from a devotion to what is good and true , and not from a foolish sense of self-merit and a wish to look down on others , is good .
In any case , because of the way the world around us is changing , the General Church is destined to become even more distinctive in the days ahead – unless , of course , it goes the way of the world .
In the early days of the New Church the difference between it and the world around it , which still mostly identified itself as Christian , was mainly a matter of doctrine and not so outwardly apparent . In fact , the question of whether there even needed to be a separate organization was a matter of considerable debate .
Now , though , the spiritual divide between the teachings and culture of the New Church and the ideas and culture around it is becoming ever deeper and wider . The outstanding example is the difference between the New Church view of marriage and that which has taken hold in the world and even many other churches .
And yet , at the same time the world , in many ways , is growing further apart from the New Church , we also see spiritual progress in the widespread and growing interest in being kind and useful to others – the poor and needy and those who have been ignored and mistreated . Young people today are
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