Rise Above the Flood with Your Ark of Clarity & Compassion

Using the lens of parable to explore the story of Noah and the Ark, we can’t help but immediately reflect on those moments when we’ve been inundated by metaphorical flood waters ourselves – or think about the current state of the world in many ways. There’s a naturalness to many of scripture's use of metaphors that we tend to relate to, biblical and otherwise. Whether it’s David and Goliath, Adam and Eve, Mohammed on the mount, or Cain and Abel, we immediately internalize these characters and stories into life lessons and personal insights; just as we do when we hear Christ speaking about debtors and kings to uplift forgiveness, compassion, and spiritual insight. Noah and the Ark is another tale in this vein - a tale that strives to both literally and metaphorically uplift life and spirit! Indeed, just as in real life, we can connect the metaphor of a flood to the hardships of our spirit; what the Bible and other traditions describe as our harmful desires and tendencies toward selfish autonomy, fear, and hurtful actions. Read more here: https://swedenborgiancommunity.org/blog/ark-2020Our community's affirming Swedenborgian spirituality, inspired by an interfaith, mystical Christianity, is centered on love and openness. It 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, and others.