Lectio:
“The heart itself is but a little vessel; and yet there are dragons there, and there are lions; there are poisonous beasts and all the treasures of wickedness; there are rough and uneven ways; there are precipices; but there too is God, the angels, the life and the kingdom, the light and the apostles, the heavenly cities and the treasures of grace — all things are there.”
— Pseudo-Macarius, Fifty Spiritual Homilies, Homily XV.7 (trans. A. J. Mason)
Meditatio:
According to Father Mike Schmitz, “Our hearts are idol-making machines” (The Bible in a Year Podcast, Day 47). That is, we look for any excuse we can to covet, pursue, or worship anything and everything besides the One thing that will bring us peace, satisfaction, and fulfillment (Jeremiah 2:13).
Whether out of impatience for, lack of faith in, or outright defiance toward God, we create golden calves out of people, money, property, power, notoriety, experiences, and so on, and so on, ad infinitum and ad nauseam (Exodus 32:4).
It doesn’t seem to matter how many times these false idols let us down, how unhappy they make us, or how restless we are. In spite of all evidence to the contrary—in spite of our past experiences, the examples in the world and in Scripture, and the pain and torment they have caused us many times before—we convince ourselves over and over again that this time it will be different. That this false idol will be the one to give us what we need. That this not-God will satisfy the longings of our hearts and fill the God-shaped hole in our souls that only God can fill (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
Idolatry—faith in, longing for, and worship of not-God—is not only the root of the original sin (Genesis 3:6), it is the root of every sin.
It is the source of every dragon, lion, poisonous beast, treasure of wickedness, rough and uneven way, and precipice that Pseudo-Macarius speaks of. Not-God and its subsequent evils and disordered appetites were the cause of Adam and Eve’s fall, Cain’s murder of Abel, King David’s affair with Bathsheba, Judas’s betrayal, Peter’s denial, and Thomas’s doubt of Christ.
This is as true now as it was in the Garden. What has been will be again; there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9).
While our hearts may be “idol-making machines,” that is not what they were made for.
From dust, God formed us in His image and likeness and breathed His life into us (Genesis 2:7). He formed our hearts for Him—to be joined in love with Him.
As Pseudo-Macarius says, our hearts not only contain dragons, lions, and poisonous beasts, but also “God, the angels, the life and the kingdom, the light and the apostles, the heavenly cities and the treasures of grace.”
Our hearts were formed to choose God, but our hearts are broken.
In our brokenness, we choose not-God, which leads to more brokenness, unrest, and dissatisfaction. No matter how many false idols we create to heal our wounds, they only make them deeper and more painful.
In our brokenness, however, there is also hope.
The God from whom our hearts were formed and for whom our hearts long calls to us even now.
Through His indwelling Spirit, we are reformed, recollected, and rejoined to the God who restores what was fractured and heals what was disordered.
Yet much like our fall from grace was not an overnight matter, neither will our restoration be. There is a battle raging inside our hearts (Galatians 5:17).
We are under constant attack from the dragons, lions, and poisonous beasts that want to keep us from God. We are tempted by treasures of wickedness that promise wealth, power, and glory. We face rough and uneven ways and precipices that make us doubt God’s love and faithfulness.
But we are not alone in this fight.
For in our hearts resides the Spirit of God who, by Himself, is enough to cut down any monster, trample any temptation, and extinguish any evil. “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
Let us not, therefore, lose faith.
Let us not give in to temptation.
And let us not be afraid.
The heart may be capable of idolatry.
But it was made for God.
Oratio:
Indwelling Holy Spirit,
recollect me into Thee;
rejoin me to the Father
through His Son who died for me.
Call me across the stormy waters;
give me sight — part the sea.
Remind me of my holy nature;
speak Your truth — set me free.
Fill me until my heart breaks open
and love runs over
where I used to be.
Give me life.
Give me purpose.
I am but a vessel —
make use of me.
Contemplatio:
What “idol” do I most often turn to when I feel restless, afraid, or seeking fulfillment instead of turning first to God?
Related Scripture:
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)
For Further Reading:
If you enjoyed this reflection, you may also like Scriptio: My Heart Is An Idol-Making Machine
~Robert Van Valkenburgh
Grappling with Divinity.
Wrestling with Peace.
Returning to Love.
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