Beneath the Surface Into the Heart of Life

One of the taglines for this blog, and for my life personally in recent months has been, ‘Seeing beneath the surface into the heart of life.’

The heart of life. What is it? At times this seems like a vague concept until there is a prompting— often, of beauty piercing through and resonating with something deep within. To me, it feels like a, ‘YES!’ I want that! I love that! This is what life is about!

One movie I absolutely love is called, ‘The Human Experience.’ The initial video clips, united by a somewhat nostalgic background song drift in and out of view. Scenes of the beauty of everyday life— joyful children blowing bubbles or running through a sprinkler, blowing out birthday candles while a loving mother beams in the background, a young bride, dressed in 1950’s style white silk wedding dress being dipped by her adoring groom while happy onlookers throw birdseed at the newly formed man and wife. Trees in the wind. Laughter. A newborn baby. These images stir a yearning and depth in me. Why?

The Heart of the Matter

I Am Made to Love and Be Loved

These images resonate with the deep truth written on my soul. After hearing (not just hearing, but truly hearing) this truth, I’ve never doubted it for a moment: Human beings are made to love and to be loved. It couldn’t be more clear when looking around the world. From the ways in which we give of ourselves and experience an unexpected joy, from the ways in which we misguidedly grasp for love in various ways, this is the heart of the human experience.

The Joy of Loving

When we give we experience joy. It is like a spiritual math equation. Last week, I had two unexpected opportunities to be an instrument for God in giving love. Honestly, I had many, many more opportunities, but I had the distinct grace of experiencing these two circumstances as a gift given to me, and as a joy— the joy of loving. Neither were particularly earth shattering: once, to bring a meal to our neighbor who was ill. Once, to be able to just be a presence and listen as a family member related something vulnerable and difficult going on in their life. But, both times the veil of reality seemed to be lifted and I saw what was true. That these opportunities were gifts, not just for those who received, but more so for me who had the opportunity to give. This is certainly not always how giving feels to me. In the mundane the feeling is often not there. But feelings are influenced by thoughts. And although we can’t always change our emotions and feelings, we do have power to change our thoughts, which in turn affect EVERYTHING.

One way I have been reminded of this paradox of Christianity is by St. Francis’ famous prayer.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.

This is the truth. And it takes a long, long time to let it all sink in. Taking these words to prayer would be fruitful for any person.

All Things Work for Good For Those Who Love God

The biggest factor for me to truly get at what I mean by the phrase, ‘Beneath the surface into the heart of life,’ is this concept that God can bring good out of all things. If this is true it changes everything. In my experience, moments of transcendence most often have come from that lifting of the veil of a situation. Perhaps on the outside it seems sad or miserable, or even just annoying. But underneath there is grace, there is fruit to be borne. Perhaps a virtue being strengthened. Perhaps I never see anything positive from some particular suffering, but I am given a grace and a certainty that it isn’t just for nothing, but is being used in a mysterious way united with the Cross of Christ.

Sacrifice: Deeper into Loving

The fullest way to live with depth and beauty is to truly be able to say that each moment can be offered. Each moment can be an opportunity to love. This is life-changing! I am only scratching the surface of opening the power of this truth in my own life, and thus, here I am writing about it in order to encourage myself as much as anyone else.