This hit at the right time for me. I've been grappling with this a lot lately, and part of what I've come to is that every passion of the heart is something to be listened to, not without question, but that I'm feeling it for a reason. There's a teasing-out process, because though the distilled message from the heart is from God, it instantly gets bound up with a bunch of my own nonsense.
Reminds me of the Greek/Septuagint translation of Jeremiah 17:9 which tells us that, “The heart is deep beyond all things, and it is the man, and who can know him?”
This is great. I concluded something very similar after seriously studying the Bible - to trust myself is an act of faith in the gospel. Ironically, what I took at the time to be a radical spirituality ended up being an initial seed of materialist atheism. Without the neurotic injunction that self is evil, my whole religious project evaporated and something much more exciting happened. Thanks for sharing this!
Tyler, this such a fantastic read! The more I read, the more I love your work. This, this, this kind of revealed truth actually does set us free. And, also, I love knowing there's another somebody with button on their denim jacket sitting at the altar, mala in hand. GodUs knew I wasn't alone when I sat for aarti this morning, seeing your picture, I knew it, too.
Wow the synchronicities! I’m working on a piece with similar invitations, but this is so deep. I appreciate how you expanded the Hebrew meaning. And I can attest as one who spent 20-ish years in evangelical Christianity and some time in one of their cults, we are absolutely trained away from that internal guidance system. Shoo-wee, so much here. You tied the Ignacian and Jesuit practices in there so beautifully. I will keep this as an article I can point people to when they’re struggling with this idea.
I’m no scholar, but looking at the meaning of the words using Blue Letter Bible, it seems the text could convey something like: “the heart is a complex, windy place — often filled with affliction.” Very different from “wicked.”
Also, Paul said in Romans 6 that we are to see ourselves as “dead to sin”… which is quite the opposite of “desperately wicked to the core.”
I love this essay. It’s something that should be echoed again and again. For too long the tamping down of the murmuring of the heart has made people feel unwell and incomplete. Thanks for you this. Well done.
This hit at the right time for me. I've been grappling with this a lot lately, and part of what I've come to is that every passion of the heart is something to be listened to, not without question, but that I'm feeling it for a reason. There's a teasing-out process, because though the distilled message from the heart is from God, it instantly gets bound up with a bunch of my own nonsense.
Dang Jake. Thanks for reading and for sharing. And yes! Keep listening! 💙🙌🏻💪🏻
Great read! 🔥
Reminds me of the Greek/Septuagint translation of Jeremiah 17:9 which tells us that, “The heart is deep beyond all things, and it is the man, and who can know him?”
PS. Appreciate your hand tattoo my guy!!
Nick! Thanks! Big love to you.
Thank you thank you thank you for writing this.
You’re welcome Hannah! Peace to you.
This is great. I concluded something very similar after seriously studying the Bible - to trust myself is an act of faith in the gospel. Ironically, what I took at the time to be a radical spirituality ended up being an initial seed of materialist atheism. Without the neurotic injunction that self is evil, my whole religious project evaporated and something much more exciting happened. Thanks for sharing this!
Your welcome Luke. Thanks so much for reading and sharing part of your story. Big love to you.
Tyler, this such a fantastic read! The more I read, the more I love your work. This, this, this kind of revealed truth actually does set us free. And, also, I love knowing there's another somebody with button on their denim jacket sitting at the altar, mala in hand. GodUs knew I wasn't alone when I sat for aarti this morning, seeing your picture, I knew it, too.
🥰🥰🥰🥹🥹🥹 thanks so much. So happy to have connected on here.
Wow the synchronicities! I’m working on a piece with similar invitations, but this is so deep. I appreciate how you expanded the Hebrew meaning. And I can attest as one who spent 20-ish years in evangelical Christianity and some time in one of their cults, we are absolutely trained away from that internal guidance system. Shoo-wee, so much here. You tied the Ignacian and Jesuit practices in there so beautifully. I will keep this as an article I can point people to when they’re struggling with this idea.
Thanks Heidi. I’m so glad you are finding your way. 💙
I’m no scholar, but looking at the meaning of the words using Blue Letter Bible, it seems the text could convey something like: “the heart is a complex, windy place — often filled with affliction.” Very different from “wicked.”
Also, Paul said in Romans 6 that we are to see ourselves as “dead to sin”… which is quite the opposite of “desperately wicked to the core.”
Yes! What a liberating perspective this is. So much love for you Destin!
Thanks for the shout out - love being in conversation with you!
💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💙💙💙
I love this essay. It’s something that should be echoed again and again. For too long the tamping down of the murmuring of the heart has made people feel unwell and incomplete. Thanks for you this. Well done.
Thanks Curtis! Love you to the moon!