Here we are in the 21st century. We know that the universe is an enormous place. We're just bursting with scientific knowledge. But how are we doing with the even-bigger ideas? Our human societies seem to be erasing them, or ignoring them - maybe we think we're too busy for them.

Here on the New Christian Bible Study site, we'll buck the trend. We want to explore the big ideas that give us a framework for living better lives. Here's a start on a list of big ideas from a New Christian perspective. For each idea, there is a footnote that lists some references in Swedenborg's theological works:

1. God exists. Just one God, who created and sustains the entire universe in all its dimensions, spiritual and physical. ¹

2. God's essence is love itself. It's the force that drives everything. ²

3. God's essence comes into being, that is, it exists, in and through creation. ³

4. There are levels, or degrees, of creation - ranging from spiritual ones that we can't detect with our physical senses or sensors, to the level of the physical universe where most of our awareness is when we're alive here. ⁴

5. The created universe emanates from God, and it's sustained by God, but in an important way it is separate from God. He wants it to be separate, so that freedom can exist. ⁵

6. God operates from love through wisdom - willing good things, and understanding how to bring them about. ⁶

7. The physical level of creation exists to provide human beings with an opportunity to choose in freedom, with rationality, whether or not to acknowledge and cooperate with God. ⁷

8. God provides all people everywhere, regardless of their religion, the freedom to choose to live a life of love to God and to the neighbor. ⁸

9. God loves everyone. He knows that true happiness only comes when we're unselfish; when we're truly motivated by a love of the Lord which is grounded out in a love of the neighbor. He seeks to lead everyone, but will not force us to follow against our will. ⁹

10. God doesn't judge us. He tells us what's good, and what's evil, and flows into our minds to lead us towards good. However, we're free to reject his leading, and instead opt to love ourselves most. Day by day, we create habits of generosity or of selfishness, and live out a life in accordance with those habits. Those habits become the real "us", our ruling love. ¹⁰

11. Our physical bodies die eventually, but the spiritual part of our minds keeps going. It's been operating on a spiritual plane already, but our awareness shifts - so that we become fully aware of spiritual reality. ¹¹

Fotnoter:

522. First, though, let me state what divine mercy is. Divine mercy is a pure mercy toward the whole human race with the intent of saving it, and it is constant toward every individual, never withdrawing from anyone. This means that everyone who can be saved is saved. However, no one can be saved except by divine means, the means revealed by the Lord in the Word. Divine means are what we refer to as divine truths. They teach how we are to live in order to be saved. The Lord uses them to lead us to heaven and to instill heaven's life into us. The Lord does this for everyone; but he cannot instill heaven's life into anyone who does not refrain from evil, since evil bars the way. So to the extent that we do refrain from evil, the Lord in his divine mercy leads us by divine means, from infancy to the end of life in the world and thereafter to eternity. This is the divine mercy that I mean. We can therefore see that the Lord's mercy is pure mercy, but not unmediated: that is, it does not save people whenever it feels like it, no matter how they have lived.

2360. He calls them 'brothers' because it was from good that he made his appeal. This is clear from the meaning of 'brother', for 'brother' in the Word has the same meaning as 'neighbour', the reason being that everyone ought to love his neighbour as himself. Thus 'brothers' were called such out of love, or what amounts to the same, from good. The origin of naming and greeting the neighbour in this way lies in heaven where the Lord is Father of all and loves all as His children; and so love is spiritual conjunction. From this the whole of heaven resembles so to speak one family born from love and charity, 685, 917.

[2] All the children of Israel therefore, since they represented the Lord's heavenly kingdom, that is, the kingdom of love and charity, were among themselves called 'brothers' and also 'companions', though they were called 'companions' not from the good of love but from the truth of faith, as in Isaiah,

Every one helps his companion and says to his brother, Be firm. Isaiah 41:6.

In Jeremiah,

Thus shall you say, every one to his companion and every one to his brother, What has Jehovah answered? and what has Jehovah spoken? Jeremiah 23:35.

In David,

For my brothers' and my companions' sakes I will say. Peace be within you! Psalms 122:8.

In Moses,

He shall not press his companion and his brother, because Jehovah's release has been proclaimed. Deuteronomy 15:2-3.

In Isaiah,

I will confound Egypt with Egypt, and they will fight, every one against his brother, and every one against his companion. Isaiah 19:2.

In Jeremiah,

Take heed, every one, of his companion and put no trust in any brother, for every brother will supplant wholly, and every companion will utter slanders. Jeremiah 9:4.

[3] The fact that all belonging to that Church were called by the one name 'brothers' may be seen in Isaiah,

They will bring all your brothers from all nations as an offering to Jehovah, on horses, and in chariots, and in covered wagons, and on mules, and on dromedaries, to My holy mountain, Jerusalem. Isaiah 66:20.

People, like the Jews, who know nothing beyond the sense of the letter believe that none else are meant than the descendants of Jacob, and also that those descendants will be brought back to Jerusalem on horses, and in chariots, and in covered wagons, and on mules by those whom they call the gentiles. But the word 'brothers' is used to mean all who are governed by good, 'horses, chariots, and wagons' to mean the things that belong to truth and good, and 'Jerusalem' the Lord's kingdom.

[4] In Moses,

When there is a needy person among you, one of your brothers, within one of your gates, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand against your needy brother. Deuteronomy 15:7, 11.

In the same author,

From among your brothers shall you set a king over you; you may not place over you a foreigner, who is not your brother. And his heart shall not be lifted up above his brothers. Deuteronomy 17:15, 20.

In the same author,

Jehovah your God will raise up for you from the midst of you, from your brothers, a prophet like me; Him shall you obey. Deuteronomy 18:15, 18.

[5] From these quotations it is evident that the Jews and Israelites all called one another brothers, but allies they called companions. But because they discerned nothing beyond the historical and worldly descriptions of the Word they consequently believed that they called one another brothers because they were all children of one forefather, namely Abraham. They were not called brothers in the Word for this reason however but from the good which they represented. Furthermore 'Abraham' in the internal sense means nothing else than love itself, that is, the Lord, 1893, 1965, 1989, 2011, whose sons who therefore are brothers - are those who are governed by good, all those in fact who are called 'the neighbour', as the Lord teaches in Matthew,

One is your Master, Christ, and all you are brothers. Matthew 23:8.

[6] In the same gospel,

Whoever is angry with his brother without cause will be liable to judgement; whoever says to his brother, Raca! will be liable to the Sanhedrin. If you offer your gift on the altar and there remember that your brother-has something against you, leave the gift there before the altar, go away and first be reconciled to your brother. Matthew 5:22-24.

In the same gospel,

Why do you notice the speck which is in your brother's eye? How will you say to your brother, Let me cast the speck out of your eye? Matthew 7:2-4.

In the same gospel,

If your brother sins against you, go and rebuke him, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. Matthew 18:15.

In the same gospel,

Peter came and said to Him, Lord, how many times shall my brother sin against me and I ought to forgive him? Matthew 18:21.

In the same gospel,

So also My heavenly Father will do to you if you from your hearts do not forgive - everyone his brother's trespasses. Matthew 18:35.

[7] From all this it is plain that all men everywhere, being the neighbour, are called brothers. They are called 'brothers' because everyone ought to love the neighbour as himself, so that they are called such from love or good. And because the Lord is Good itself and views everyone from good, and is Himself the Neighbour in the highest sense of all, He Himself refers to them as 'brothers', as in John,

Jesus said to Mary, Go to My brothers. John 20:17.

And in Matthew,

The king will answer them and say, Truly I say to you, insofar as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers you did it to Me. Matthew 25:40.

From this it is now clear that 'brother' is a term expressive of love.