There’s an interconnectedness in scripture that is often lost to us when we read it purely literally, a tendency of both Hebrew and Christian bibles to use recurring images and symbols to point to deeper spiritual truth. This multilayered structure is often made plain by the gospels themselves, but in our desire to use scripture for our own purposes and avoid personal reflection we never seek these threads nor see where they lead. One example of these spiritual symbols is the number 40 (which I mention regularly), often used to describe a state of temptation in scripture, just as Christ is said to have spent 40 days in the wilderness overcoming three key temptations from the Devil.

Read more here: https://swedenborgiancommunity.org/blog/40

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Our 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.