Matthew 5:8

God blesses those whose hearts are pure,
    for they will see God.
Matthew 5:8

My only experience of ritual purity came when I visited a mosque in Didsbury. I came in and walked into the hall and immediately got shouted at by some young Muslims. They led me back into the hall and took me to a changing area where I removed my shoes. I watches as others came to wash themselves and prepare to so that they would be clean enough to come and to worship God.

The language that Jesus uses in this passage describes the extravagant rituals of the Jews to cleanse themselves externally so that they could draw closer to God. However, rather than bathing your skin Jesus says that those who bath and clean their hearts will be blessed because when you have cleaned your inside you will be able to see God. In this sense the heart is the emotional and spiritual centre of your life. The place where everything flows from. When your centre is damaged, it can lead to all kinds of painful experiences and behaviour. When it is unclean, you can not see God. Your heart affects how you see the world.

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
Psalm 51:10

In the Psalms, King David prayed, create in me a pure heart. He realised that his heart was off. It was not right and he wasn’t able to fix it for himself. So, he turned to God. Paul says that the Holy Spirit transforms our heart. It is through prayer and grace that we can receive a pure heart.

Every day I finish the day with confession and repentance. It is a new habit that I started just two months ago. I look back over the day and search for moments where I responded with fear or anger. I think about the source of my response and repent. I then allow the Holy Spirit to bring grace and kindness. It is a daily shower for my heart. This is my prayer: create in me a pure heart, so that I may see God in my every day.