Swedenborg’s Birthday

From Rev. Solomon J. Keal
January 31, 2013

On Tuesday, January 29, 2013, Emanuel Swedenborg turned 325 years old. He has been living permanently in the spiritual world now for about 240 of our years. I sometimes wonder what he is doing now. Is he writing more books? Is he seeing new places, meeting new people? Who is his wife, and what has he learned from her? Is he making new inventions? Is he maybe even an “assessor” on a “board of spiritual mines?”

I like to think that his inquisitive mind is peacefully satisfied, not in finally knowing all the answers, but in knowing that he will continually learn more of the Lord’s truths forever.

I often find myself craving what I think is the peace of finally knowing all the answers. Hearing an answer to a question, or finally understanding something new can be very satisfying. We feel satisfaction when we take a big drink of water after feeling thirsty. But it’s not a once-and-done thing. Life isn’t about drinking enough water once to last the rest of our days. Life is about regularly, continually acknowledging that we need to drink more water. We will never know enough to know all the answers. The peace comes in accepting that. And it comes in delighting in the questioning, not just the answers (see HH 279; AE 118).

The Writings of Swedenborg, as the Lord’s Divine Revelation for this era of the world, provide many answers that are deeply satisfying. But they also inspire many questions that can also be satisfying. The life-long search for understanding the Lord’s truth can be a pleasant journey, when we bring along provisions of Humility, Love, and Trust.

Happy Birthday Emanuel! Peace be with you on your continual spiritual journey of life.

“Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14).