Subtitle

The full title of the book that is aborning is A Rare Good Fortune, growing up Swedenborgian.

What does it mean to 

grow up Swedenborgian?

It means growing up in a religion that – even counting the various branches – is a Church so small as to be basically known only to God & ourselves.

It means growing up having to get really good at explaining your faith to people.

It means growing up knowing that all who live a life of faith according to their religion are on a good path.

It means growing up with beautiful teachings about relationships, each & every one of them nurturing & supporting our individual relationship with God.

It means growing up not being able to judge others, not even someone as apparently evil as Hitler or as apparently good as Mother Theresa, because we cannot know what was in their heart, in their intentions.

It means growing up learning that your words, thoughts & deeds should reflect each other.

It means growing up knowing that we are created to be of use, that Heaven itself is a kingdom of uses, that a useful life brings happiness & fulfillment beyond all expectation.

A great advantage of being older – a kid of 61 – is gaining a better perspective on what got me here.  How I would have scoffed - even a few years ago – if anyone had suggested I’d some day consider it a blessing to have been born & raised in a tiny religion that basically no one knows about & can be challenging to explain. 

Yet here I am, realizing more every day all the wonderful things that came from being born where I was, when I was – in a small Church, in a small town with small schools, in a small family.  Each may have been small, but together they helped forge a strong foundation for the very big & wonderful life I have today.

And that is, in every way, 

a rare good fortune.