December
12

Be Fair

And the birth of Jesus Christ was in this way: His mother Mary, being betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, was found with child from the Holy Spirit. And Joseph her husband, being just, and would not expose her to public infamy, intended to send her away privately. (Matthew 1:18-19)

The Lord was a carpenter’s son because “a worker in wood” symbolizes the good of life from the doctrine of truth. (Athanasian Creed 99)

The Lord's presence with man is in good, and therefore in what is just and equitable, and further in what is honorable and becoming … and are the planes in man on which conscience is founded by the Lord, and consequently intelligence and wisdom. (Arcana Coelestia 2915)

Heavenly love consists in loving what is good, honest, and just, because it is good, honest and just. (Heaven and Hell 481.1)

The good of love is heavenly, and thence mild, patient, and modest. (Apocalypse Explained 427.9)

Rational good never fights, however it is assailed; because it is mild and gentle, patient and yielding; for its character is that of love and mercy. Yet although it does not fight, it conquers all, nor does it ever think about combat, or glory on account of victory; and this because it is Divine, and is safe of itself. (Arcana Coelestia 1950.2)

The laws of [the Lord's kingdom] are eternal truths, all of which are based on the one great law that men shall love the Lord above all things and their neighbor as themselves, and now even more than themselves, for if they would be as the angels this is what they must do. In the other life all goods are immeasurably increased, and that the life in the body is such that men can go no further than loving the neighbor as themselves because they are in the things of the body, but that when these are removed, the love becomes purer, and at last angelic, which consists in loving the neighbor more than themselves. (Arcana Coelestia 548.1-2)

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