External Riches are Worthless Without Internal Ones: How Extravagance & the Trappings of Religion Can Mean Nothing

Sometimes I get caught up in some of the trappings of the rat-race, I confess. I think we all do. It’s easy to care about riches and our beauty and togetherness for shallow reasons; for our image with our friends and strangers, on social media, at work, for our dating life, and on. We often want these things to feed our ego and to feel a somewhat hollow comfort. We can want the dressings of extravagance and wealth for its prestige and perceived safety in spite of its impact on others, and in today’s world we can easily feel encouraged in that. And yet, what we know about ourselves from studies and what God(dess) tells us encourages quite the opposite: true health, richness, within and without for ourselves and for others. We are your loving, affirming interfaith spiritual community! The Swedenborgian spirituality, based on mystical Christianity, has deeply influenced the likes of Helen Keller, Carl Jung, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Johnny Appleseed (John Chapman), William Blake, Henry James, Robert Frost, DT Suzuki, George Inness and William Keith. Chat with our community live during the broadcast at swedenborgiancommunity.org/worship. And visit your affirming interfaith community at SwedenborgianCommunity.org :) Our form of Swedenborgianism is rooted in mystical Christianity as explored by the 18th-century scientist-turned-mystic, Emanuel Swedenborg. We open our doors to people of all faiths or none!