Dec 03, 2017

Follower of Jesus (40)

Blessed are the pure in heart

For they shall see God (1)

Matthew 5:8

We have spent the past eight weeks looking at the pain in our world, both physical and mental pain, and attempting to answer the question that is at least 50,000 years old: if there is a God, and that God is loving, why has not God prevented that pain? We have seen that for most of the time the gods we are most familiar with from those times is the god of vengeance and full of demands: do this for me or be punished. Besides, the gods felt they could unleash untold horrors on us simply because they were gods. Appeasement was the only answer in those thought patterns, and the concept of a monotheistic god was just not thought about.

The idea of a loving God took hold very slowly, moving from the tribal thought to a more universal thought over thousands of years. Our own traditions stem from the Jewish tribe starting about 4000 years ago and culminated in the coming of Jesus the Christ, changing the game a shift at a time. The teachings of Jesus gave us the beatitudes, a series of pithy sayings that tell us what it means to live the full life we are invited to become, but using a language that is difficult to discern the true and deep meanings they entail. These short 40 meditations on the deeper meaning of these expressions are only the tip of the iceberg of the depth of these wonderful expressions of Jesus. We had looked at the first few of the beatitudes, and will continue to share with you what I have learned from God in my 80+ years.

“Pure in heart”. Indeed, this is a strange phrase. We have to remember the Jesus did not speak from our normal dualistic or judgmental mindset, but spoke from the non-dualistic approach where the opposites find a way to exist simultaneously. Jesus spoke not about the sexual side of events as we too often have taken this statement, but from the spirit filled center where all was good, where creation itself sang of the wonders of God.

There are several ways to look at the phrase ‘pure in heart’. The simplest way is to look at the way the ‘heart’ or what the mind-consciousness holds to a singleness-of-purpose. The ‘pure’ thought process is the ability to keep the mind focused on the topic at hand. Most of the great thinkers of the past and present have an unusual ability to keep focused on a given topic for extended periods of time. That ability to stay focused enables someone to develop deepening insights into the topic, no matter what the field. Most mystics had that capability to stay focused for hours. But to be ‘pure in heart’ adds another requirement. Not only to stay focused, but to stay focused in the light of the love of God.

The beatitudes are the definition of what it means to be a Follower of Jesus, or the Christ. If we are to move into and be that Face of God that will draw others to the Bliss of God, we will move, under the guidance of the Spirit, to act in the ways spelled out in the beatitudes. A follower of Jesus is one guided by the Spirit to live the life of God and not using the ego to proudly proclaim ‘Look at me: I am one filled by the spirit!’, thus proving that they are not filled by the Spirit. These actions will become the definition of Who We Are, and not just a way of acting a part that will make us look good. Jesus had harsh words to say to those who widened their tassels, looked downcast, and gave all then outward signs of a ‘holy one’, but whose heart was filled with self-righteousness.

If we are pure in heart, we will find ourselves praying often, giving compassion and love with every breath, and learn to love even those we would consider ‘unlovable’ – for God, Jesus, and the Spirit, loves them to a breathtaking degree. Above all, we find ourselves “being” pure in heart just the way we are. I have often spoke of learning from the non-dual thinking to be able to understand these sayings. Non-dual thinking is based on non-judgmental thinking, or being able to see all sides at the same time, either-or/both-and. Anyone who has a long and successful marriage has learned this is the only way to live together despite our human differences. Eileen and I have, now married 56 years and going strong, understand that we have different thoughts, we are two different people who have both shared and unshared experiences that have led to where we are today, having a stronger love today than ever before. That is, we accept one another in our differences, and realize that these differences and mutual acceptance are the strength of our relationship.

We will continue to explore the deeper meanings of being “pure in heart”.

Meditation

O God of Wisdom, I bow before you in grateful acceptance of a life lived in the depths of Your Love. You love me no matter what crazy thoughts come, and gently continue to prod and push me to become my fully created self. I always have more to learn and to become, and I trust You above all to continue to guide me in my life. I know in my heart nothing can separate me from Your love. I trust You to give me all I need in this life to be able to live Your life as my expression until I pass from this physical life. Life is good; and all I live is good. Every morning I wake up and thank You for another chance to grow and to know You at a deeper level. I look at the wonders of the world around me and the breathtaking beauty of each thing, from the dust motes dancing in the sun to the breathtaking wonders of the night sky. Thank You for everything You have given me to Love, and teaching me to love even those things that are filled with pain, for it is in this pain that I deepen.