When Everything Feels Like Life or Death

Description

It is easy to make even trivial parts of our lives into an epic life-or-death struggle. Some issues are that important. Others are not. In today’s message, I reflect on two scenes from the Gospel of Mark: People reaching out to Jesus for healing, and Pharisees fixating on handwashing. One moment reveals faith that heals with a simple touch. The next shows how tradition can cloud compassion. I invite us to ask: where am I doing that in my own life? Where am I holding tight to something that doesn’t actually matter? Swedenborg teaches that “first things must be first, or the rest fall into disorder” (Secrets of Heaven §5945). That means love and healing come before rules and rituals. Rituals have beauty, sure – but they should lift us, not trap us. So today, hold things a little more lightly. Breathe. Let go of what doesn’t serve love. Keep your eyes on what really matters.