In scripture, a recurring theme emerges: the “Divine Inversion.” It is the idea that the logic of the world where power, wealth, and visibility reign is often the polar opposite of spiritual reality. To some degree I’ve known about this, but only on the surface level, but became more acquianted due to bible studies. From a worldly perspective, we strive to be first, spiritually, we are told the last shall be first. We think strength is found in armor, but scripture suggests it is perfected in weakness.
The Anatomy of a Hardened Heart
Are our hearts hardened by our choices? The answer offered by spiritual tradition is a resounding yes, though it is rarely a singlematic (single and dramatic) decision. Instead, it is often a calcification of the soul. I break it down into these three groups (of course not limited to):
Self-Preservation: We make choices to protect ourselves from pain, rejection, or loss. Each time we close ourselves off to vulnerability, a thin layer of “callous” forms over the heart.
The Pursuit of Certainty: The worldly eye craves control. When we choose the comfort of our own prejudices over the mystery of faith, we lose the “softness” required to receive new revelation.
Repetition of Will: Our daily choices to choose “self” over “other” gradually dim our spiritual receptors.
What Is Right in Front of Us?
If our hearts are hardened, what are we missing? A lot of times we aren’t blinded to the extraordinary, but to the sacredness of the ordinary.
| Worldly View | Spiritual Reality |
|---|---|
| Scarcity: There is never enough, we must hoard. | Abundance: Grace is sufficient and multiplying. |
| Separation: People are “others” or enemies. | Unity: We are interconnected members of one body. |
| Noise: Meaning is found in status and achievements. | Silence: The “still, small voice” is where truth resides. |
We are often blinded to the image of God in the person standing right in front of us. The clerk, the neighbor, etc. We see a category or a nuisance, the spiritual eye sees a miracle. We are also frequently blinded to the present moment choosing to live in the regret of the past or the anxiety of the future, while the spiritual realm is actively operating in the now.
The Great Flip
The flip is an invitation to unlearn. To see spiritually is to realize that the “invisible” things..love, justice, peace, and humility are actually eternal than the “visible” things like buildings or bank accounts.
When we acknowledge that our choices have built a wall, the wall begins to crumble. The blindness lifts not when we look harder, but when we surrender our need to see on our own terms.
Thank you to my dad arguing this with me for 3 days. A conversation that had to take a pause every 5 hour increment. This writing could be better organized, but I’ll get back to it some day, just wanted to get the ideas off my chest.