⁄
So many, many times I have been led to the
conclusion that what is advanced in The Spiritual
Diary/Spiritual Experiences is always in essential
agreement with what is taught elsewhere in
the Heavenly Doctrine. I think that I hear the
same underlying Divine and heavenly melody.
valid or true in its own right. As with representations in the Sacred Scriptures
(i.e. the statue that appeared in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream) so with some of the
representations seen by Swedenborg in the spiritual world, one representation
may be used to represent internal realities in a variety of ways.
In this regard I think of how a certain representation of the Word seen by
Swedenborg in the other life is dealt with by the Lord in a whole succession of
ways in various works of the Heavenly Doctrine, in Spiritual Diary/Spiritual
Experiences 3605 ½; De Verbo 1; Sacred Scripture 26:3,4; Apocalypse Revealed
255; and True Christian Religion 277.
Potential Uses
Now on to the matter of what sort of special use I would propose for a Divine
work such as The Spiritual Diary/ Spiritual Experiences. Of course, as with
other works of the Heavenly Doctrine, we might employ its teachings in many
different ways depending on the specific teachings involved and the specific
matters that we are addressing from them. I would present what follows as just
one of the special uses that I have made of the teachings of this work.
I may say from the outset that at least some readers may be surprised that
I would choose to illustrate this possible use by referring to two subjects that
some may well find unpleasant to the point that they wish that I would omit
them from the discussion. These subjects are homosexual practices and the
sexual abuse of children. However, I think there are at least a couple of good
reasons for including them.
The first is that these subjects are very much before the general public at
this day and are deeply troubling to many, many people. For those who long
for the Lord’s guidance in all matters of life – spiritual, moral and civil – they
call out for, even demand, examination in the light of Divine and heavenly
principles. And yet, for reasons I will seek to explain in what follows, the Lord
in what are known as the “published” works, has chosen not to speak very
openly about them. Does this mean He has left us bereft of any particular
teaching concerning them? No, He has not!
473