As I read Hannah
Reborn: Maturing and Healing the Soul beyond Organized Religion, I found
myself completely enthralled with Rev. Hannah Thomsen’s spiritual life
journey. Hannah writes about her spiritual
awakening into discovering who she really is. Ultimately she was able to have her fundamental beliefs shaken to the core;
which resulted in revealing answers she had been yearning for many years to
understand. Her path has been an intriguing one, redefining and enabling
Hannah to become closer to her husband as well as herself.
Hannah and her family are Mormons, belonging to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints. She was married at a young age
to a gentleman by the name of Ed Thomsen, a man she hardly knew. Ed and his family had been excommunicated
from the Mormon Church for reasons unbeknownst at the time to Hannah. In the early stages of their marriage, Ed
was supportive of his wife’s religious beliefs, but had his own clandestine spiritual
belief system. He felt it was taboo to
have an open discussion about their differences in faith fearing it would
hinder their relationship. I would hypothesize
Ed Thomsen led his esoteric-double-spiritual- lifestyle for some time during their
marriage before really being forthcoming about his own true beliefs. Ed believes in reincarnation (regeneration,
as he prefers to call it), spirit guides, UFO’s and extraterrestrial
civilizations.
Hannah and Ed had a lot of stress in their marriage which
made for a very challenging relationship. There were cultural differences, language barriers, religious
differences, and financial burdens. Having the responsibility of children, they would constantly have to
relocate so Ed could provide for his family. Additionally, Hannah had made a lot of personal sacrifices. She moved away from Copenhagen where she used
to live with her family and friends. All of these hardships created a lot of
tension in their marriage and they often had heated arguments regarding
religion which was becoming a mounting issue. Hannah was extremely orthodox in her faith as
a Mormon; while her husband was more of an independent thinker not one to be
persuaded easily by the masses.
After careful consideration, Ed finally decided to share
with Hannah his true beliefs as to how he feels she is the “Hannah in the Old Testament” and Ed is “Peter, the
apostle of Jesus Christ.” As you can
imagine, Hannah had a difficult time digesting all of this new information Ed
had kept hidden for some time. This
wasn’t an easy process for Hannah; in fact it caused much anxiety resulting in
many sleepless nights. However, with a
lot research, prayer, meditation and an open mind, Hannah began to see some compelling
similarities between herself and “Hannah in the Old Testament.” She
understood now why Ed was excommunicated from the church. These discussions between Ed and his wife
really came at a crucial time in their marriage. It is my impression these talks actually
saved their marriage and restored the bond between Hannah and Ed. I appreciated how both authors interjected
their dairies and journals to collaborate with Hannah’s unreserved autobiography;
adding both validity and a personal touch of intimacy. This technique allows for the reader to
really feel the author’s anxiety, pain, and love.
Hannah then embarked on a journey of self-discovery with the
help of her spirit guide Zipporah, which entailed learning a new path and
gaining new knowledge. The primary
message Zipporah taught Hannah was with love, faith and hope; these strong
energies help heal and enhance wellness. Another important message is that the kingdom of God is within you. Hannah had been given visions so that all
faiths are acknowledged; as paths either directly or indirectly lead to
God. She also has a wonderful way at
times of incorporating her sense of humor into her personal story making it
very pleasurable to read.
Hannah’s personal story allows one to consider a whole new
approach in looking at life's challenges; a way where each challenge does in
fact serve a purpose -- and a higher purpose at that! A way where there is no reason to blame, to
judge, or to hate -- because we are able to recognize each person on this earth
as also serving a purpose. Some people
may be put off by these concepts which are too contradictory for their current
beliefs. I personally feel it is best to simply follow
your intuition and read this if you feel drawn to these definitions of faith!
I highly recommend Hannah
Reborn: Maturing and Healing the Soul beyond Organized Religion, by Rev.
Hannah Thomsen and Ed Thomsen to people who are feeling compelled to explore
their past and use that knowledge to take the next step in their spiritual evolution. I particularly recommend this book for all
those interested in spiritual growth and development outside of the confines of
mainstream religion.
Buy this book at Amazon.com
