Dec 10, 2017

 

Follower of Jesus (41)

Blessed are the pure in heart

For they shall see God (2)

Matthew 5:8

Those that are “pure in heart” have no idea that they are pure in heart. Their actions stem from who they are deep within. Now it is possible in moments of great pain or calamitous events, most people will act “pure in heart”, acting unselfishly and helping others just because they can. Some of the stories that came out of the recent shootings in Los Vegas illustrate that unthinking internal motion: those covering others, those who helped some that had been wounded, despite the still active shooter, those rushing in to the wounded at that time, and the many wonderful stories of heroism that we hear.

But this beatitude goes beyond the stressful moments of life, and states clearly those who live “pure in heart” in their everyday life, not just during peak moments, but whose very nature is grounded in love and generosity, will “see God”. Not just after this life, but here and now.

As I said, Jesus spoke from a different viewpoint.

There is a subtle hint of the nature of God in this beatitude. The “pure in heart”, it states clearly, “shall see God”. Most of the time that phrase is thought about and discussed to mean after passing from this existence into the next. But I believe Jesus meant it in the sense of his statement in Luke 17:21: “nor will people say ‘here it is’ or ‘there it is’, because the kingdom of God is among you (within you)”. God is already here, waiting for us to open our eyes to see. God lies within everything.

The prologue of the Gospel of John states it clearly: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. This was the beginning with God. All things came into being through the Word, and apart from the Word not one thing came into being that has come into being.” (John 1:1-3). That statement is as clear as it comes: all is through the Word, or the Christ, and God is present in all. All who are pure in heart will see the presence of God in all of creation, for they “will see God” indeed in all that exists.

My favorite example of this is St. Francis of Assisi who lovingly spoke of God within all of creation. His legendary love of nature and all that exists speaks of one who was certainly “pure in heart”. The many tales of his ability to communicate with the natural world speaks volumes of his awareness of God’s love in all that exists.

The wonder of the joy of the Dali Lama despite his obvious pain for his people and his grief for them is clear; but he expresses joy in all he does. His ever present smile and laughter is a true wonder in our day. Another example is Archbishop Desmond TuTu who carefully worked for decades under South Africa’s Apartheid program and to clear the rights of the majority of South Africans. He worked tirelessly to create a peaceful transition, and was the principle architect of the Truth and Reconciliation effort that has prevented untoward bloodshed in the country. The Archbishop’s infectious smile has awed the world during all the agony of the 40-year campaign.

We will look further at the true meaning of being pure in heart next time.

Meditation

Oh Spirit of Wisdom, I place my heart in Your care. My rampant ego does not allow me to reach out to You without trying to claim credit for Your response. I surrender each moment into Your care, trusting You will give me all that I need. I rest in the sure knowledge that all that I need is mine, without knowing how it arrived accept through ordinary means. I see that nothing is ‘ordinary’, that everything that came to be came through Your Word, as the prologue to John’s gospel states. Ease my heart and fears as life flows onward, ever onward, with the ‘good’ and the ‘bad’, with the definitions of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ ever changing, often reversing.