Wholehearted

In exploring the theme ‘Wholehearted’ we will apply this practice across two different relationship planes: the vertical (with God) and the horizontal (with human beings).

We begin on the vertical plane with the first commandment:  “Love the Lord your God with all your heart.” It is quite tempting to label this scripture as a simple platitude and move on; God cannot be serious in this expectation. And if God is serious, then what does it mean for us? 

But perhaps the commandment is exactly what it claims to be: an honest invitation to a much deeper trust in, and vulnerability with, God. As human beings we do pretty well with control, advance notice, and probable outcomes. We like balancing equations. Years of disappointments may have taught us to safeguard and hold back the soft and vulnerable parts of ourselves, those most prone to pain. Perhaps it is all part of the programming we have cultivated to protect ourselves throughout our lives - giving and loving in measured amounts. And yet the invitation is there, God wants the whole messy affair that is the human heart. All of it. God wants our unspoken dreams, our daring creativity, our bold decisions, our shaky steps forward, our moments of distrust and our trust in the uncertain and in the hidden; isn’t that truly what faith is? 

Interestingly, it is not much different on the horizontal plane. The invitation is once again to approach life from a place of living ‘Wholehearted’ - not holding back for fear of disappointment. Instead it is living with trust, courage and vulnerability. To live in a way that we allow ourselves to truly show up, in all our passion, in our daring expectation and in our hope. To invest in others. To risk being heartbroken. To pour everything we have into those around us. And to risk the uncertainty and pain when it all goes off script. 

To be ‘Wholehearted’ does not mean we have somehow arrived at a destination. To be ‘Wholehearted’ means we slowly dare more greatly each day, with the Spirit of God empowering us to be sincere, to be authentic, to be connected, to be seen, to feel, to give and to risk love. 

“There are only two things in the world God and fear; love and fear are the only two things.” [1] Since we have Love living inside of us we can dare to push past fear into the ‘Wholehearted’. Living this way will slowly transform everything in us and around us. 

[1] Awareness.Anthony De Mello, S.J.