Meditate | Maybe 'Gain' Isn't So Hip After All...

Meditate is a monthly column in which insights gained from meditating on the Word are shared. You could write for Meditate, too! Contact us if you'd like to write a submission for this column. -Editor

“'And you shall not accept a gift' means detesting any kind of gain. This is clear from the meaning of 'a gift' as anything worldly that is loved, whether it is riches, positions, reputation, or something else that gratifies the natural man, for these worldly things generally are called gain and in the internal sense are what is meant by 'a gift' which blinds and perverts; and from the meaning of 'not accepting' as detesting, for unless such gain is detested it is still looked for and accepted. It is detested when what is heavenly and Divine is loved more than what is worldly and earthly; for to the extent that one is loved the other is hated, as accords with the Lord's words in Luke,

No slave can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other ... You cannot serve God and mammon. Luke 16:13.

'Hating' means detesting, for detestation is a feeling of hatred, and hatred is the opposite of love, which is why it says 'or he will love the other'. From all this it is evident that 'you shall not accept a gift' means detesting any kind of gain.” Arcana Coelestia 9265

So hopefully you’ve already scanned the above quote, but just take a minute to let sink in how extreme that idea really is.  Is there any bigger motivator out there than “gain” (or “self-advantage” in another translation)?

Sure, we all know that exclusively chasing money, or grabbing power just for the joy of power aren’t good, but none of us are really like that, right?  I mean, those are just kind of caricatures of abstract evil behaviors. However, there are subtle, realistic types of gain, and chasing that can really suck the joy out of your life.  You know, things like “I’ve got [talent X], if I just worked harder at it, couldn’t I really get noticed…” or “If only the right people noticed my [accomplishment Y] I would come to be seen as….”  Those are just my generic examples, but if you search your life for a minute, I’m sure you’ll find equivalents.  Not that chasing that stuff is intrinsically wrong, but in my experience, hell will use that to whisper in your ear, “You could be more.  You could be better.  Other people are getting ahead.  Think of the opportunities you’re missing.  You’re going to regret this.”

So that’s hell, and that’s just what they do, but this quote above—BAM—really gives you a stone in the sling, because the quote is so extreme, because it actually tells us to “detest” what is pretty much the core of the American dream; it produces an almost “I’m rubber, you’re glue” effect.  Let me show you it in action:

Me: “Dum de dum, just writing this article for New Church Perspective.  La la la.”

Hell: “Hey, hey, you know, if you just spent a little more time on this, thought of a catchier opening, worked a few more profound points in there, the people who read it would think, ‘Wow, Curtis is really a genius.  How does he come up with this stuff?  He’s so much smarter than me.’  You’d really have a chance to become a go-to guy for Swedenborgian thought, and who knows where that might lead to…”

(Ok, so let’s see how I answer with and without the concept we’ve been talking about.)

Scenario 1 (without using our concept):

Me: “Whoa, really?  Wow, that would be so cool, and maybe that’s what I’m meant to do.  I can’t miss this chance! [Spends too much time on the article; agonizes over trying to find the right ideas; isn’t satisfied by the response the article gets; stresses over how I’m ever going to “make it” in writing; resents others who are more successful, etc…]

Scenario 2 (with using our concept):

Me: “What?  All that stuff you just listed is called gain.  Specifically, reputation-related gain.  Eww.  I detest that stuff.  I hope this article is helpful, and I look forward to whatever God is going to bring into my life next.”

So, I’m not sure if I can clearly communicate what I want to here in writing, it’s just something you’ve got to try.  Hopefully you’ll get what I’m saying.  To restate my thesis: this quote is awesome because it frees you from the tyranny of potential gain.

The truth will set you free.

Curtis Childs

Curtis Childs is 27 and lives in Huntingdon Valley. He works for the Swedenborg Foundation and has a 55-gallon fish tank.