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Slugs and SnailsSometimes I think that the contemporary Christian vocabulary for our human nature has degraded to that sexist riddle of yesteryear ... "What are little boys made of? ... slugs
and snails and puppy dog tails! Now, this isn't going to be about gender, but rather, the impoverishment of our language and understanding concerning human nature; anthropology if you like. When Orthodox talk about prayer, (and talking is not as half as importantly as doing), we say that "the mind descends into the heart." Here's what a non-Orthodox person would probably understand by that statement:- THE THINKING PART OF US BECOMES MORE AWARE OF THE FEELING PART OF US. WRONG! The trouble is that there has been a reduction of mind to "thinking" or even "rational discourse," and a dismissal of the feelings to the heart. In Orthodox Christianity, the mind is everything that goes on in the head, including feelings. The heart of course is neither the blood pump nor the feelings. It is the very centre of our personality with is indivisibly integrated within the union of body and soul. This heart manifests itself to the mind as a sense of "self", consciousness and relatedness to the world and others. The predominant "directional" language for the heart is down and a centre within. So, when Orthodox use their own prayer terminology we mean the following, (very approximately) :- OUR MENTALITY DESCENDS INTO THE CENTRE OF OUR SELF-FOR-OTHERS "Intellect" is often used by the Fathers instead of mentality or mind, but this certainly does not mean the "cleverness" faculty! It approximates to the noblest dimension of our whole mind which, however, may become sullied by earth bound or evil thoughts. The heart does not come with a ready made built-in purity either. The heart, inasmuch as the mind, is also a battle field, a place where Christ must conquer and dwell. So, when Orthodox talk about the "mind descending into the heart" it is, initially, a reference to spiritual warfare. Here in the heart, we fight with the weapons of the Spirit for that purity of heart without which no one will see God. When significant bouts of that battle are won we may feel the presence of Christ and the Holy Spirit within us. We should not give these feelings undue attention, (after all they may easily be confused with ordinary feelings of exhilaration or even demonic counterfeits). It is sufficient for us to know that "the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." (Romans 5:5) As we progress in the Life of the Spirit we may discover that when our minds descend into our hearts, they are "illumined" ... which is to say that they are enlightened by some holy disposition or granted some wise insight or discernment. This is when we may become useful for others. God will speak to us and through us to others who need to hear his Word. Along with this divine discourse there will also be a transformation of our humanity so that Love of which we speak will also become the Love that we are. The higher and deeper stages of this enlightenment will be when we become the Light of Christ for others. In this, our true and deified state, united and suffused with the energies of Love the Holy Trinity, we will no longer be aware merely of ourselves but only God who grants the fullness of Himself in all ready and receptive human hearts. These final journeys into the heart are truly only the beginnings of a journey into eternity. This my friends, is what the "mind" and the "heart" mean in the hands of God! Fr. Gregory |
