Along with the vision of a loving God, what has tied my heart most intimately to the New Church approach to spirituality is the respect and regard for other religions. The New Church shows me a path in which God is so loving that He allows variety in religion so that wherever we are born, whatever events happen to us, we are provided with opportunities to follow a path of kindness to each other, to ourselves and ultimately to a connection with Him. If you are looking for a common thread in all religions, look no further than the Ten Commandments and the work of Ray and Star Silverman in the book Rise Above It (an excerpt on p.4). Witness the humility of one woman’s journey to reconcile her faith with her husband’s and find greater joy and enlightenment on the way in Diane Geanuleas’ story on p.8. The compassionate ideas in this magazine are grounded in an understanding of the Old and New Testaments as revealed in the Writings of the New Church; see how in a biblical story examined by Rev. Kenneth Alden on p.20. My hope and prayer for you today is that wherever you are on your spiritual journey you come closer to being kind to yourself, those around you, and take a step toward knowing the loving Creator who provides each one of us a path to reach Him. A path so beautifully described in New Church teachings. . .
BMK
General Church Outreach