The Precursor
October 2001
The Newsletter of the Cincinnati Society
of the General Church of the New Jerusalem
At a time when our country is still shaken by the horrible events of Sept. 11th, we publish, with his permission, an address on this subject by the Rev. Derek Elphick. The full version may be found here.
September, 11th 2001
The Terrorist Attack on the World Trade Center
and Pentagon
An Address by Rev. Derek Elphick
ON TUESDAY MORNING OF LAST WEEK, this nation experienced, in a matter of minutes, one of the most horrific acts of violence in modern history. This act of terror was accomplished in minutes. but the memory of it will last a lifetime. The haunting images of that fateful day, and the days that followed, have made an indelible mark on our minds. The memories are painful and tender because we are grieving, we are grieving for the countless victims, their families, the injured who narrowly escaped with their lives; and we grieve for our nation. Coupled with the memories are a host of raw emotions: feelings of shock, feelings of disbelief, helplessness, deep sorrow and pain.
And yet amidst all these tears of sorrow are tears of pride, tears of pride for our fellow citizens who are working so bravely at these sites of mass destruction. They are laying down their lives for the sake of their friends simply because they refuse to let the forces of evil triumph. These citizens are ordinary men and women: rescue workers, medics, technicians, police personnel, and the National Guard all of whom have joined together in the thousands to fight for this common goal. There is also our own government and its leaders, and the governments and leaders of nations from around the world, which have joined together in solidarity to pursue one goal: the fight against evil.
We may have witnessed one of the most deceitful, wicked acts of humanity but we have also witnessed some of the most heroic, selfless, loving acts of humanity too. And this brings us to the message of today's address, namely that no evil can befall a person or nation without an equal or greater good prevailing.
It's important for us to come together in this house of worship to quiet our minds and turn our hearts to the Lord, especially in our moments of sadness, for the Lord is a "very present help in trouble" (Ps. 46:1). It's also important to turn to the Lord with our questions and prayers because we all need reassurance. We need the reassurance of Psalm thirty-seven that tells us not to fret because of evildoers "for they shall soon be cut down like the grass" (v. 2). We need the reassurance of the Lord's Divine providence "that He directs all things, and provides all things, and that He leads to a good end" (AC 845 5), and that we are carried toward good things "whatever may be the appearance" (AC 8478:3).
Our country provides reassurance in the form of physical protection. It is responsible for the physical welfare of its citizens, and the government of this great nation has given us its pledge that it will take whatever measure is necessary to protect our homes, our families and our lives. Our church plays a similar role, but on a spiritual level. It is responsible for the spiritual welfare of its citizens, and each congregation is given the Lord's own pledge that He will take whatever measure is necessary to protect our souls, our eternal lives, and provide for our eternal peace and security.
Millions and millions of people are asking why God would let a tragedy of this magnitude happen, There is an answer to this question. It doesn't lie beyond our comprehension. And it's not a mystery either, but if we are to hear the answer we must be prepared to clear our mind of all the noise, all the confusion, and resist the temptation to place the "guilt" or "blame" on the Lord Himself.
We have a choice. Like anything else in life, we can insist on looking at things our own way or we can humble ourselves before our God and hear His Word.
And the Lord has some very important things to tell us. He wants us to know it is not His will that these "little ones," these victims, should perish in this way. The Lord wants us to know that He is in charge of our lives in more ways than we can possibly imagine. He wants us to know that the very hairs on our head are numbered. He wants us to know that He will not let one misfortune come our way if it threatens or jeopardizes us spiritually. This is probably the single, hardest concept for people to accept because it means that the Lord permits certain evils to happen in this world but not others, and from the human perspective it never seems right, especially when innocent lives are lost.
The Lord is a merciful, loving God and He wants every single person on this planet to go to heaven. This is the sole objective, the sole purpose of all creation - a heaven from the human race. But this goal cannot be achieved or realized without our participation, without our free choice.
And if these choices are to be authentic and real, we must be in total freedom to choose between good and evil. So people makes choices, some that are good and some that are bad. But it doesn't stop there. Bad choices lead to evil behaviors and wicked acts for in the words of the prophet Jeremiah, man is deceitful and "desperately wicked" (Jer. 17:19). And as the Lord Himself said, out of the heart of man proceed evil thoughts, murder, hatred and other ugly things (Mt. 15:19). So it follows that people don't just make bad choices. Some go on to commit terrible, heinous crimes against other people. But the question remains, if people need to be free to choose between good and evil why must innocent people suffer? Why must the innocent fall?
The innocent fall in this world because we live on a spiritual battleground and people get hurt, sometimes killed. We live between two spiritual forces, one that is evil and one that is good. This isn't a mock battleground or a dress rehearsal. It is the real thing, as real and frightening as the terrorist attack on this nation last week. We live with evil people all around us, and sometimes evil comes to a head, breaks loose, and lives are lost. This is the grim reality of life in this world. It is a harsh reality, as harsh and unforgiving as war itself.
However, we also need to hear these words of the Lord from the gospel of Luke: "I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do" (Lk. 12:4). The evil that is inflicted on innocent bystanders has its limits. It has a shocking outward effect, but does nothing to the soul. From a spiritual perspective, there is no damage at all. Those who kill the body cannot kill the spirit. Psalm thirty-seven reassures us that though a person may fall, "he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand" (v. 24). And we need to remember these stirring words:
We do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day... For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal... For we know that if our earthly house ... is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens (II Corinthians 4:16 18; 5:11).
The things which are "not seen" are spiritual realities. For as long as we live in this world, we see only half the picture. We cannot look into the spiritual world and see all the victims of this senseless tragedy waking up in the loving arms of angels. We cannot see how gentle and calm their spiritual awakening is. We cannot sense the calm, the peace and joy that fill their hearts as they take in the sights and sounds of their new world. They will have no memory, no recollection of how they died. There will be no memory of the violence, the terror, the screaming, or the pain. There will be no more tears for these memories serve no use and are therefore shut down. The ugly, unhappy images from this world are now being replaced with scenes of exquisite beauty and joy. The horrors of their physical death are no more because they are alive and conscious in a new world, the spiritual world. And when, in the Lord's providence, it is time for their loved ones on earth to make the same transition, they will be the ones to come and welcome them to their new, eternal home.
If there is to be one, overriding theme in the Word it is that the Lord's goodness always triumphs over evil. Evil can inflict harm to be sure, but it cannot prevail for long against the forces of good that flow in constantly from the Lord and His angels. A single angel in heaven is said to have enough "power" to disperse a whole crowd of evil spirits. What we are talking about, of course, is spheres. As the sphere of the Lord and His angels, flow in to us and the people of this nation something truly remarkable begins to happen. Our shock is replaced with a renewed trust. Our sense of helplessness is replaced with a new resolve to take action. Our sorrow and grief is replaced with a new pride and joy in all the good that we see around us. Evil is no match against the sphere of truth. Evil is no match against the sphere of order, against the sphere of spiritual law. Evil is no match against the sphere of a people, a nation united in its
resolve to fight for justice.
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UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, all events are at the church building. If you are scheduled for a specific job and are unable to be there, please could you find a substitute, and, if possible, notify the pastor in advance. Thank you.
Wed. Oct. 3 Pastor's Council. 7:30pm.
Sun. Oct. 7 Informal service. 11:00am. Meeting room.
Mon. Oct. 8 Swedenborg Reading Group. 7:30 pm. Books and Co. 350 E. Stroop Road, Kettering, Ohio. Contact Jane Blair, (937) 859-4466, or the bookstore, at (937) 298-6540.
Tues. Oct. 9 Reading Discussion Group. 7:30pm. Bring along a Bible. 2 Corinthians 12ff. No advance reading.
Sat. Oct. 13 General Doctrinal Class. 7:30pm. Subject: "Worship." Workshop. No suggested advance reading.
Sun. Oct. 14 Divine Worship. 11:00am. Holy Supper Service. Usher: Dion. Sunday School: Helene. Sunday School Subject: Gen. 46. Flowers: Dinah.
Sat. Oct. 20 Homeopathic Study Group. 10:00am. Meeting room. Privately sponsored event. All welcome.
Sun. Oct. 21 Lay service. 11:00am. Meeting room. Lay Leader: Matthew Mayer. Pot luck and work party following service.
Mon. Oct. 22 Swedenborg Reading Group. 7:30 pm. Books and Co. 350 E. Stroop Road, Kettering, Ohio. Contact Jane Blair, (937) 859-4466, or the bookstore, at (937) 298-6540.
Tues. Oct. 23 Reading Discussion Group. 7:30pm. Bring along a Bible. No advance reading.
Wed. Oct. 24 Trustees. 7:30pm.
Sat. Oct. 27 General Doctrinal Class. 7:30pm. Subject: "Conjugial Love" Suggested reading: De Conjugio. 1-41. De Conjugio (Concerning Marriage) is found in the second volume of Posthumous Theological Works in the standard green edition. In case your numbering should differ, we will be considering from the beginning of this book through the 26 points listed under the section, VARIOUS THINGS CONCERNING MARRIAGE AND ADULTERIES. Please contact the pastor with any questions.
Sun. Oct. 28 Divine Worship. 11:00am. CLOCKS CHANGE. Usher: Dick de Maagd. Sunday School: Shirley. Sunday School Subject: Gen. 47-48. Flowers: Karen de Lue.
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Kalos Committee
We recently formed a committee to provide some kind of aesthetic oversight for the building (kalos being Greek for beautifu). The members are Gillian and Jane, appointed by the pastor, Dinah, appointed by the trustees, and the pastor, ex officio. You will be hearing more in the coming months.
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Thanks to Gill and Patrick for hosting the pot luck and class at the beginning of September!!!
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