I have been reading a very touching book by Rev. Geoffrey Childs called The Path: the Inner Life of Jesus Christ.  In the first chapter (page 22), in describing the Lord’s infancy on earth, Rev. Childs cites Arcana Caelestia 1438, which says that Jesus “attained to the celestial things of love.”  In explaining this statement, Rev. Childs writes, “The celestial things of love are the inmost keys to life.  Every infant is surrounded by celestial states of innocence and of love toward the Lord.  Infants live in a garden of love where the best things of life are implanted without knowledge being involved.  These are the innocent qualities called ‘remains.’  Feelings of love and peace ‘remain’ hidden within us our whole lives.  These ‘remains’ are protected, and are awakened in us by the angels at various times in our lives.  Remains enable us to be truly human and to shun evils as adults, and be saved” (page 23).  (According to my limited understanding, it’s possible to have remains implanted in us at other times in our lives, but the process of implanting remains is particularly notable in infancy.)  

I seem to remember encountering the idea that these strong and beautiful gifts deep inside us from the Lord are a kind of counterbalance to the hereditary inclinations to evil that we are all born with.  I find the whole idea of remains so reassuring and inspiring. 

So then I decided to see if there was anything about remains in another book by Rev. Childs called The Golden Thread – Spiritual and Mental Health.  It turns out that the “golden thread” of the title is referring directly to remains:  “Within our earliest states, the Lord creates a golden thread that giants cannot break.  Affections are implanted that protect us throughout life.  These celestial states overcome even the lowest hell and enable us, from the Lord’s power, to win victory in adult spiritual temptations.  Remains allow us to be reborn” (page 38).  Also, “Inmost remains are reawakened in extreme crises or temptations, and then the Lord is again present” (page 39). And Rev. Childs goes on to describe how those who are regenerated/reborn have “followed the golden thread from the innocence of infancy to the innocence of wisdom, and the two have been conjoined by the Lord,” adding that such people reach “a far richer state of innocence and peace than what is experienced in infancy.  Then the world again becomes as alive as it was in childhood…” (page 39).

Obviously I have more encouraging and inspirational reading in front of me.  When confronting the repeated evidence of evils in my own life that need to be shunned, it is hopeful to remember that the Lord has planned for these battles from the beginning and that He always gives each of us the strong gifts we need to see us through.