GREAT HEARTS DISCUSS MORE THAN IDEAS

Eleanor Roosevelt is known for having said, “Great minds discuss ideas.  Average minds discuss events.  Small minds discuss people.”  Her comment rings true.  A little later this month (August 26-29), The Salvation Army Swoneky Division (Southwest Ohio and Northeast Kentucky) will hold back-to-back events:  A Holiness Conference and a family camp.  Both will be a gathering of many minds likely to discuss ideas, events, and people.  What’s different about these gatherings of Christians, mostly Salvationists, is that at all three levels of discussions will not be solely a matter of great, average, or small minds, but also of their hearts.  This will make many conversations qualitatively different depending on the state of people’s hearts.

Without considering a person’s heart, the quote stands on its own.  However, great hearts discuss more than ideas.  The conversation of even small minds may be noble if the hearts are pure.  The conversation may be lofty and admirable if they have the best interest of others in mind.  When the pure in heart discuss the needs of others with concern and compassion the discussion rises to a whole other level.  Great hearts may carry on great conversations at any level.

When it comes to talking about great ideas like God’s grace and holiness, it is hard not to talk about all three in the same conversation.  Holiness and purity of heart are powerful ideas that are marked by special events in people’s lives.  There you have it, all three in one.   Such events are God’s handiwork in the heart of believers who open their hearts to the deeper, cleansing by the Holy Spirit through a sanctifying event of faith by God’s grace.  When a life is transformed into the likeness of Christ, it brings joy to the heart, thanks to God, and becomes the topic of heart-felt conversation by others.

St. Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus (3:19) these words:  “I pray that you may . . . know this love(the love of Christ) that surpasses knowledge . . .”  In other words, we are to go beyond knowing and discussing ideas with only our minds.  Our discussions must surpass ideas by engaging the heart.  What’s most laudable may be discussions that emanate from a pure heart at any level.  In the words of John Wesley’s favorite Bible verse, “ The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself in love.” (Galatians 5:6).