The Ache of Estrangement

Description

Family estrangement carries a real ache, and many of us know it firsthand or love someone who does. In this message, I want to speak honestly and tenderly about broken family relationships, the pain of distance, and the hard spiritual work of keeping love alive where we can. There are times, especially with abuse or deep toxicity, when distance may be necessary. Still, I have never stood at the end of someone’s life and heard deep gratitude for estrangement. Family is hard. People see things differently. We wound each other. Yet love still asks something of us. Swedenborg reminds us that “Goodness is constantly flowing in from the Lord,” and we open ourselves to that goodness through gratitude, forgiveness, and the courage to keep the door open. Sometimes that door stays open nearby. Sometimes it stays open from a safe distance. Either way, we remember that people can change, life is too short to rehearse every hurt forever, and God keeps inviting us toward healing, peace, and home.