2/15/22
When we want to go below the surface of an issue we might say, “Let’s get to the heart of the matter.” This figure of speech represents a spiritual truth found in these
words: “’Heart’ signifies what is inmost. What is inmost in the case of the good, is love to the Lord and love towards the neighbor.’” (AC 7542)
Today is Valentine’s Day, a secular festival celebrating love in relationships. In our country at least 145 million Valentine cards have been sent (second behind Christmas cards). The average man will have spent close to $200 and the average woman about half of that. Many of the sweet cards, flowers and chocolates might represent superficial tokens of affection, but the sheer volume of them says that people do value heart connections a lot. There is a universal human acknowledgement that hearts and love go together and this is according to the Divine design.
At Professor Erland Brock’s memorial service last Friday the minister chose to read the first passage from Divine Love and Wisdom. I find it to be the perfect New Church valentine message. In it, the Lord offers the quintessential definition of love: “Love is life.” And it fit so well with the qualities we admired in Mr. Brock. Those within his sphere of influence could easily affirm how his daily life was an artful and steadfast portrayal of this axiom from the Word.
Yesterday, at Young Children’s Church, we talked about how the Lord gives us hands to do good. It was very precious to see even the littlest ones taking red carnation valentines to people they had never met before. Love was in the air... and all over their innocent faces. So if love is the inmost, “our very life,” can we humbly turn our minds and hearts to the Lord as the source of that life and strive to be open to His unceasing desire to fill our eternal spiritual life with His love?