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Purity of Heart

When relationships dissolve and things fall apart, or when there is death and destruction, we call these events ‘disasters.’ A disaster is something we never want, that’s why we use this label. But what is a disaster? The word means ‘coming down or away from the stars.’ In other words, a disaster brings us down to earth, it grounds us and wakes us up to the reality of life. Disasters force us into the present when we might not want to be here, for they demand our full attention.

When someone, including a society, has lost soul, they often look for security in the future because the present seems to be lacking what they are searching for. Disasters occur in order to draw our attention to the fact that the present needs to be re- ordered so that soul can be more fully present and revealed.

In the Christian Bible we find reference to the spiritual quality of ‘purity of heart’ – a phrase that usually gets misunderstood. Purity in the Greek version is ‘catharsis’ – which is a cleansing and purifying process, typically associated with emotions in psychology. But it means much more than this.

Catharsis, or purity of heart, is also about putting into place the pieces of our lives, the elements of our life story – both the joys and sorrows, the gains as well as the losses. It implies a great honesty – telling our stories and living our lives in an open way that makes no excuses and uses no defences.

Catharsis also means having sharper ideas, clearer feelings, a more defined sense of purpose and a vision for direction and quality.

The alchemists referred to this as ‘solutio’ – putting things in the waters of reflection so that they dissolve and come apart for renewal and new beginnings. When things come apart we have an opportunity to create new images, generate new ideas and initiate new directions. Without renewal we become rigid, inflexible, negative and boring. Catharsis helps restore innocence and impressionability. It opens the door of the mind and heart to soul’s influence.

We are not victims of disasters, but co-creators of the presence of soul moving through our lives in ways that will ultimately enable us to express the best within us, making a contribution that enhances the lives of others.

Whenever we find ourselves out of sorts or off-track, and when we are inclined to label our experiences as disasters, we need to ask ourselves: what does soul want to express through me? It will always be some variation of beauty, truth or goodness – always an expression of love, resulting in greater purity of heart.

Exercises: 1. What has recently occurred in your life that has greatly upset you? 2. What have you allowed yourself to ignore that is demanding your attention? 3. What might soul be trying to express through you in this regard? 4. After some reflection, what new resolutions or decisions, based on soul quality, are you now prepared to make?

This is one of 150 Soul Perspective articles. For more articles visit Soul Perspectives Index.

Andrew and Bonnie Schneider are now offering personal interactive email coaching for the 4 Level Soul Journey program. Connect weekly with Andrew and Bonnie on how to develop soul consciousness. Read more about this personal coaching from Andrew and Bonnie Schneider by clicking here.