Matters of the Heart:

A new beating heart is a beautiful thing to behold. Why? Because this new heart is full of hope, this heart hasn't experienced anything yet, this heart is waiting to go out into the world and face new, possibly exciting things. A new heart is innocent, forgiving and pure.  The heart may get hurt several times in the first few years of life but the heart endures patiently, loving and hoping. The body heeds the heart without complaint when we are young but a strange thing happens when we’re adolescents. The mind interferes with the heart. War ensues, logic against emotion. The heart is torn in several directions wanting to do nothing more than to endure patiently but the mind does not allow it.

When the heart is hurt, the mind uses cool logic. “Give up” the mind whispers, “Don’t hope or you’ll get hurt again”. The heart resists but the mind is stronger, more focused, more powerful than the flimsy heart. The mind allows pride to take seed, validating the course of action by calling it “self respect”. The heart struggles and eventually wins but it is greatly weakened by the struggle. The heart waits but it gets hurt again. The mind raises its hackles and attacks once more, the heart grows colder. The heart waits yet again and at the final strike love turns to hate.  The mind collects reasons to fuel hatred. “See what all he did” the mind whispers “You have endured for too long”. However all hope is not lost since great hatred can only exist where great love once did. The situation can still be salvaged. But the waiting is unrequited, hope turns to despair and hatred crystallizes into venom. A shard of ice pierces the heart leaving a scar. The very first scar on the heart that was once flawless. The venom empties, indifference sets in but the scar remains.

Time passes and once again the heart tries to love. However this time love is different. It is no longer encompassing, unconditional, overflowing love. The heart that once loved freely is ruled by fear, fear of getting hurt again. The heart withholds, not understanding that perfect love drives out fear. The heart has become stingy and miserly in giving. At the first sign of struggle the heart feels like giving up, the waiting reduces, dread increases. Once again the heart gets struck but the pain is lesser. The sensation is numb, the scar grows wider but the heart ceases to feel. The pure beautiful heart is no more. Instead we find a stone cold heart, indifferent and incapable of love.

Many times in our life we get hurt and endure it, but each time our heart grows colder until in the end there is nothing but emptiness. We cannot give what we don’t have. We literally become incapable of love. Giving and receiving. And when we don’t give love we end up hurting someone else. Another heart is scarred and the cycle of abuse continues.

Deep down in our hearts all of us want to be loved. The rich guy in the luxurious mansion, the homeless guy shivering on the street, the barbarian in prison, the calculating teenager, all of them desire love. That’s because the need for love is built into us. We were created to love and be loved. And that desire will be forever unsatisfied as long as we look around us to quench the ever increasing need. Because that desire for love is nothing more than a desire for God. God is love.

The power to break this cycle of abuse lies with you. Fill your heart with his love and you will have plenty to give others. The scars left by love can also be healed by love. And those that you heal will go out and heal others. Ultimately there will no more tears, no more sadness, no more pain because love really is the solution to everything.

I hope that you go out today and love someone who doesn't deserve it. I hope that you won’t judge that person for being the way he is because maybe he can’t give what he doesn't have. I hope that your love heals many hearts and the cycle of abuse is broken for good. I hope that the God shaped hole in your hurt is filled with the God shaped God.

I hope that one day we can all meet in heaven. And the pure hearts can rejoice once more, having driven out fear for good.