Where is our heart?
“The visible and the invisible meet at the crossroads which we call our heart. When we say ‘heart,’ we mean that center of our personal being where we are one with ourselves, yet not with ourselves only. In our heart of hearts, we are one also with all others – all humans, animals, plants, the whole cosmos — and with the Ultimate, with God. St. Augustine affirms from his own mystical awareness a truth of which every human being has an inkling: ‘In my hearts of hearts God is closer to me than I am to myself.”’—David Steindl-Rast, A Listening Heart, p. 22.
Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37). Where are our heart, mind, and soul? Anatomically, we know our heart is in our chest, and our mind is in our head. Our soul may be the mysterious part of us, the God within us. David Steindl-Rast gives us one more idea of where our heart is. “It is the center of our being where we are one with ourselves and all others, and with God where God is closer than we are to ourselves.” This makes some sense if we go on to Jesus’ following words in Matthew: “This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it, Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:38-39)
This is all highly mysterious and mystical. All three parts of ourselves seem similar and related at times, and, at other times, significantly different. But by some means, we experience the God within us through our minds and our hearts. We also experience this God within us, changing us and keeping us connected to the God in our neighbor and part of God beyond ourselves, more extensive than we can imagine, fathom, or understand. We experience God through our mind, heart, and something else intrinsically within us.
Perhaps heart, soul, and mind are so interconnected, like the parts of the Trinity, that it is hard to keep them separated, particularly when they are working together.
I am reminded of the joy we see and hear when our older son and his wife play a “Heart and Soul” duet together on the piano. Next time, I will take a picture. For now, I have a beautiful picture beyond words in my mind of what the blending of heart and soul looks like.
Joanna https://www.joannaseibert.com/