1423. And the one who curses you I will curse symbolizes the unhappiness of those who do not acknowledge him. This can be seen from the symbolism of cursing and being cursed as turning ourselves away from the Lord (shown before, in §§245, 379) and so as failing to acknowledge him. Those who do not acknowledge him turn away. So cursing here involves all traits opposed to the ones implied by a blessing.

379. These symbolisms can be seen from the preceding sections [§§373-377]. The symbolism of a curse as something turned away was also shown before, in §245. Wicked and loathsome acts — that is, acts of hatred — are what turn us away and make us look downward only, toward bodily and earthly concerns, or in other words toward the things of hell. This happens when we send charity into exile and extinguish it, which shatters the bond between the Lord and us. Only charity, which is love and mercy, maintains the bond. Faith without charity is incapable of doing so, since it is no faith but mere knowledge, of a kind that even the Devil's horde can acquire; they are further able to use it for deliberately deceiving the upright and impersonating angels of light. The worst preachers sometimes do the same, with a zeal that seems to spring from piety, although nothing is farther from their minds than what they utter with their lips.

Can there be a person with judgment so unsound as to believe that a memorized faith can have any effect by itself? Or that mere thought based on that faith can have any effect? On the contrary, we all know from our own experience that no one can tell the real value of another's statements and assertions if they do not arise from the will or from genuine intent. It is the will and intention that please us and connect us to one another. Our real identity is whatever we will, not what we think or say without willing it. Our will is what determines our nature and character, because it is the will that has an effect.

If on the other hand our thoughts are good, then the essence of faith, which is charity, lies inside the thought, because goodwill is present. But if we say our thoughts are good, while we live an evil life, we can never desire anything but evil, in which case faith is out of the question.