Do You Practice This One?

What difference does it make where our thoughts and impulses come from? In this week's article, originally sent in one of his newsletters to the New York City church group, Grant describes what the Writings say about where our thoughts come from, and the difference it can make to practice them as a way of handling both welcome and unwelcome thoughts. -Editor

It’s not meant to be head stuff. It’s meant to be practiced—to make a difference in our daily lives. I’m talking about the things that the Word teaches, and that we accept as true.

In Heaven and Hell 302 Swedenborg testifies:

I have talked with angels about the union of heaven with the human race and have told them that church people actually do say that everything good is from the Lord and that there are angels with us, but few people really believe that angels are so close to us, much less that they are in our thought and affection. The angels have told me that they knew this kind of [empty] belief and talk occurred in the world, and especially (which astonished them) in the church, where people have the Word that teaches them about heaven and its union with them. Yet in fact the union is so vital that we could not think the least thought apart from the spirits who are with us. Our spiritual life depends on this. They said that the reason for this ignorance was that people believe they live on their own, without any connection with the Ultimate Reality of life, and do not know that there is this connection through the heavens. Yet if that connection were severed, we would instantly drop down dead. If we believed the way things really are, that everything good comes from God and everything evil from hell, then we would not take credit for the good within us or blame for the evil. Whenever we thought or did anything good, we would focus on the Lord, and any evil that flowed in we would throw back into the hell it came from. But since we do not believe in any inflow from heaven or from hell and therefore believe that everything we think and intend is in us and from us, we make the evil our own and defile the good with our feeling that we deserve it.

 1. Our thoughts come from (are shared with) angels and spirits who are with us.

    I am trying to write this article, but I’m constantly distracted. I’ve chosen a topic that I know is important. But how to present it?  I sweep some dust off my keyboard. Nature calls. I fix a snack. Back at my desk. How can I get the attention of my reader?... Thoughts of the previous day... Lingering issues. A tug of wish-fulfillment. Turn from that. Not going there. Back to the work at hand. I notice my foot wiggling...

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