The Heart of the Matter
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.”
John 14:1, ESV
The human body is amazing! Through our senses we see, taste and touch the world. With our minds, we probe the eternal structure of things. We present ourselves to the world with our faces and recognize one another.
Yet, it is the heart that makes us human.
The heart is where the beauty of the human spirit comes alive. To be able to feel is a great gift. When you feel for someone, you become united with that person. Your concern, care and compassion come alive. Without the ability to feel, friendship and love could never be born. Feeling comes from the heart.
The state of one’s heart shapes one’s life. It is ultimately the place where everything is decided. John O’ Donohue, in his book “To Bless the Space Between Us,” puts it this way: “A courageous heart will go forth and engage with life despite confusion and fear. A fearful heart will be hesitant and will tend to hold back. A compassionate heart need never carry the burden of judgment. A forgiving heart knows the art of liberation. A loving heart awakens the spirit of possibility and engagement with others.”
The power of the heart’s attitude is expressed beautifully in the New Testament: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Luke 12:34, ESV) All through the Old Testament, God is interested only in the heart – not sacrifice, rituals or rules – only the heart.
Indeed, the mystical tradition would suggest the heart is beautiful precisely because it is where God dwells: the heart is the divine sanctuary.
