Matters of the Heart - Katie
by Miracle Chasers on 03/25/19
"The heart has its reasons that the mind does not know." 17th century mathematician, physicist and theologian, Blaise Pascal, was a defender of the scientific method. Yet, it is his realization that we come to know things, even truth, in ways that transcend reason that resonates hundreds of years later. The "heart" for him, then, and for us, now, is at the center of what gives the human race it's humanity. It is the intersection where each human being connects with others because we can all understand love and loss, and the many virtues that flow from love and loss - compassion, sacrifice, forgiveness, trustworthiness and faith to name a few.
The metaphorical heart is the powerhouse of our very existence. We can wear it on our sleeve, or choose not to. The heart can bleed and it can break. And mend, thank god, always leaving behind the remnants of what was lost and a scar to remind us that we have earned the lines on our face and the wisdom in our soul. The heart can ache for someone else's difficulty, or it can ache when missing someone so much we feel a hurt that won't go away. And, when we have a heart-to-heart conversation, it means we have allowed ourselves to be vulnerable and authentic, whole-hearted, in truly connecting with someone else.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery wrote that, "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye." This is how we fall in love with one person and not another, why we follow our intuition or take a chance on our dreams. It is how we are able to read the spiritual signposts that light our way. No wonder the heart gets its own holiday. With origins in an ancient Roman fertility festival and named for a real St. Valentine, a Christian martyr from the 3rd century, Valentines Day in some iteration has been around for millennia. Though the holiday is associated with romantic love, it is good to remember that the heart works its magic in a broader sense all year long, if we but follow. (Katie)
