Harden Not Your Hearts
The readings today are rich with imagery. In the first reading, God promises to raise one up from among them to show them the way. The second reading finds Paul trying to calm our anxieties. Finally, the Gospel has Jesus teaching with authority in the temple and casting out an evil spirit. Despite all the richness in those readings, the Psalm response captured my heart in prayer. “If today you hear His voice harden not your heart.”
Why would anyone harden their heart if they hear the Lord speaking to them? Most of us yearn to listen to the voice of God. We hope and pray and even beg God that we might hear His voice. Perhaps the problem is we don’t know how to discern the voice of God in the noise of the world that surrounds us. Or maybe we have a hard time determining God’s Word when we desperately want to hold onto our own.
God is speaking to us all the time. We need to learn how to listen. God is knocking on the door of our heart, and he has words that are specifically for us. He wants to have an intimate, personal relationship and conversation with each of us. Our conversation with God will be unique in all the world, just as we are unique.
So, the real question is, “What is a hardened heart, and how do I avoid it?” A hardened heart is not something we long for, but sometimes we choose without even consciously realizing it. A hardened heart is an arrogant heart. It is a prideful heart. A hardened heart is a heart that knows what is best without prayer or reflection or allowing God to influence it. A hardened heart is a heart that knows what God is calling it to, and yet it says, “No! I won’t forgive or embrace, or look with kindness.” A hardened heart is a heart that critically judges the motivations and intentions of another. A hardened heart is a heart that believes it is self-sufficient, that it does not need God or anyone else.
Our world encourages and applauds us when we are hard of heart. We are pushed to take sides on every issue and judge anyone who sees it differently as wrong. Our political structure encourages us to be hard of heart when we decide there is no wisdom found on the other side. If you say you are pro-life, then you must express that belief precisely as I do. Say you favor sharing resources more equitable between people. I can’t have a conversation with you because you are labeled a socialist. It is probably most dramatically experienced when you say you tend to be more conservative or more liberal. You get pushed into a partisan corner labeled Democrat or Republican, where no conversation and unity are possible. How do we avoid it when the whole world, it seems, pushes us to have hearts of stone?
In one way, it is a simple answer, and yet it is so tough to do. We must pray. We must have conversations with God. That is the only thing that will keep our hearts open and soft. We must be present to God with the fidelity we have to eat meals, work, play golf, or go to the gym. Prayer and meditation must become a priority if we are going to hear the word of God. It is not a contest, and there are no grades. Just be still and listen. Are the words you hear stirring your heart with love and hope?
No matter what God says or how he says it to you, His words will always be accompanied by a sense of intimacy. This is not something that we can manufacture. It is a gift we can only receive with gratitude, humility, and love. It comes only as we calm our racing minds and wait to hear what God wants to tell us.
So, dear ones, God is waiting to speak to you. God is waiting to hold your heart in His own hands and love you. Please be brave enough to share the wisdom God gives you. Only when we put our pieces of truth and wisdom together can we leave hatred, bigotry, and violence behind and be one with God.
In God’s Unending Love,
Gwen
