How blest are those whose hearts are pure; they shall see God.
Matthew 5.8

A pure heart has no guile, nor is it soured by malice. It is not disfigured by jealousy, nor is it moved by greed or covetousness. It is empty of all worldly desire, and consequently it is a spacious chamber where God may dwell in peace. Such a heart is found in any young child, at present unsullied by the corruption of the world. Though it is yet uncontaminated by material desires, it is by no means uninhabited: it is the register of the soul, or true self, and responds to the character of the person especially in terms of emotions. It is not a mere void where any and every passing spirit may dwell; on the other hand, it is well guarded by the person against invasion and corruption. But this delectable state of innocence has to be left behind as the person stoops to combat in a society that is geared to material success and personal gain. In other words, the pure heart of the young child is inevitably invaded by mercenary motives and personal desires.

"The heart is the most deceitful of all things, desperately sick; who can fathom it?" (Jer. 17.9). The heart is, above all, the seat of the emotions, and these fluctuate wildly according to our present state of satisfaction. The naked purity of the young heart has to bear with the impress of many cross-currents in the growing life of the person. This experience is a crucial part of our growth to individual maturity; as the heart responds to the stimulus of worldly riches, the temptation to personal power and glory, so it reveals its true calibre. Jesus tells us not to store up for ourselves earthly treasure, which is liable to loss and deterioration, but rather to store up incorruptible heavenly treasure, for where our treasure is, there also will be our heart (Matt. 6.19-20).

The problem with this, and so much other teaching about non-attachment, both in the Sermon on the Mount and in the heights of the other great religious teachings of the world, is its difficulty of attainment. If we believe that a total renunciation of the world's goods is required of us, we soon realize that this is merely a comfortable way of evading personal responsibility for our part in serving the world. Indeed, we have to be more diligent in our labours than ever before, but less centred on our own interests and more on those of the community.

There are a few people whose hearts seem to remain pure as a gift of nature despite all the defilement of the world - perhaps they are saints from birth. But many more of us have to traverse the dark corridors of power and learn the lessons of failure before we can let go of personal desire. Only then do we enter the void where the divine presence welcomes us home. Only when the heart is purified of all craving can we see inwardly to do what is required of us in this transient life. In doing the required work with a clear mind and a pure heart, with single-minded attention and warm compassion, we find that God himself, though always present, is now visible to us.

Jesus told the religious leaders of his time that impressive outer piety is of no avail on its own; it is like cleaning the outside of a cup while leaving the inside dirty. Instead, there must be an inner conversion; if the inside of the cup is cleaned, then the outside will also be spotless (Matt. 23.25-6). Our adult life brings us into close contact with injustice and corruption; the school of suffering helps to purify the heart, which is then in a position to bring the world's darkness to the light. As it does this work, so the heart becomes ever purer and more loving. And so a renewed purity, no longer of childhood innocence but of adult responsibility, is able to accept the world's discord and bring it to a harmony of heavenly peace.

Give me the strength, Lord, to play my part in sharing all the temptations of the world, and the humility to bring them to your presence for acceptance. May the constant awareness of my own impurity be the bond that unites me to my fellows while my cleansing brings greater holiness to them all.