the potential for receiving good from Him.
Reverence for the Things of Religion
It is said of the holy things of the church that they “are not holy unless they are
received with holy respect; for unless they are received with that respect what
is Divine does not flow into them.” (Arcana Coelestia 10208)
The same principle applies more widely to all meetings with potential
holiness – unless we respond with “holy respect,” whatever there is of holiness
around us remains unseen. Holy ground loses its holiness if it is trodden upon
thoughtlessly and without respect for its holiness. The Lord Himself appeared
to be an ordinary man to those who viewed Him simply as “the carpenter’s
son.”
The Word is especially revered in the New Church because its holiness
comes from its internal sense, which has been revealed in the doctrines of the
New Church. And again, as in the way we view the Lord and life in general,
there is an ascending spiral of response: we must approach the Word as holy in
order to see its internal sense, which in turn increases our sense of reverence
for the Word.
A reverent attitude is also the key to seeing the truth of the Heavenly
Doctrine. At the end of Heaven and Hell Swedenborg wrote:
What has been said in this work about heaven, the world of spirits, and hell, will
be obscure to those who have no interest in learning about spiritual truths, but
will be clear to those who have such an interest, and especially to those who love
truth because it is truth; for whatever is then loved enters with light into the mind’s
thought. (Heaven and Hell 603)
Reverence for Marriage
The New Church teaches that the marriage of a man and a woman derives from
the Divine marriage of Love and Wisdom in the Lord. It also represents the
marriage of the Lord and the Church – the Lord being called a “bridegroom”
and “husband” in the Word, and the Church His “bride” and “wife.”
The institution of marriage is therefore one of the holy things of the Church
that must be revered. But if it ceases to be regarded as holy – as something
ordained and defined by God – it becomes like a beautiful old church which
has been turned into a museum or restaurant or office building .... no longer
what it was, no longer the blessing the Lord intended it to be.
Conclusion
We need to see the worth of something in order to respect it, but if we approach
life in general with a respectful attitude this will help open our eyes to see
much more of the worth of things, and of the holiness all around us. We can
progress from external to internal reverence – from respecting things simply
for their value to us, to appreciating their intrinsic spiritual use and the beauty
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