The Heart

The Heart

People look for wonder-workings and surprises, for phenomena of all kinds. Yet the greatest phenomenon, the greatest surprise, and the greatest wonder is to be found in one's heart. If there is anything that can tune man to the highest pitch, that can tune the strings of his soul to the right note, it is only by the tuning of the heart. The one who has not reached his heart has not reached God. People may be relations, friends, partners, collaborators, and yet be quite separate; nearness in space does not make people real friends. There is only one way of coming near to one's friends, and that is by way of the heart. If there is anything which is the most wonderful in heaven and earth, it is the heart. If a miracle is to be found anywhere, it is in the heart. For when God has tuned the heart, what is there which is not to be found in it ?

Heart can be of different kinds; there is the golden heart, the silver heart, the copper heart, the iron heart. The golden heart shows its color and its beauty; it is precious and at the same time it is soft. The silver heart shows inferior qualities compared with the golden heart; yet coins are made of silver; it is useful. Of the copper heart pennies are made, and pennies too are useful in everyday life; they are even more used than gold and silver coins. Copper is strong and hard, and it needs many hammerings to shape it and make something out of it. And then there is the iron heart, which must be put into the fire before anything can be done with it. When the iron becomes hot in the glowing fire, then we can make something out of it; but the blacksmith must be always ready; as soon as the fire begins to glow, he must start at once. If he lets it go, it will turn cold in a moment.