Back in the day, cars were powered by internal combustion engines equipped with spark plugs. My internet research (!) reveals that the spark plug is at the top of the cylinder head. When the piston travels down the cylinder, it draws in a mixture of fuel and air. When it travels back up it compresses that mixture.
Then when the piston reaches the top of the cylinder head, at that precise moment, the spark plug ignites the mixture, and the piston is forced back down the cylinder. Thus, the car is powered. And one more thing: none of this is visible to the naked eye. It happens deep within the engine casing.
No doubt, dear reader, you’ve concluded that I’m not a mechanic. But I am a pastor, and my point in discussing the rudiments of the combustion engine is to illuminate something important about ourselves. Deep within us, hidden from view, is a chamber, not unlike a cylinder. This chamber, this inner room, this inner sanctuary is where we are alone with God and his voice resonates in us. It is sometimes called “the heart.” Its most proper name is “the soul.” It is our inmost being wherein resides the divine image in which we were created. It is the seat of the inviolable dignity given us by God. It distinguishes us definitively from the rest of creation.
The soul is what gives form, shape and power to the rest of our being. When body and soul separate, our earthly life is ended. When we tend to the health and wellbeing of our soul, every other aspect of our life improves. When we try to improve the self without taking care of the soul, we falter. And why is that?
It’s because we are a little like that internal combustion engine. We too are equipped with a “spark plug.” The soul is that chamber where a mixture of nature and grace are compressed and ignited by contact with the fire of the Holy Spirit. This is what drives us, gives form to our lives, connects us to others in love, propels us forward. It’s what helps us achieve God’s purpose in making us: “to know, love and serve God in this life and to be happy with him in the next.”
Let’s think about this comparison a little more.
Suppose you have a beautiful car – let’s say an antique Packard V-12 (my favorite). Let’s say it’s in mint condition. Its finish is flawless. Its leather upholstery is factory-new. Its spoked wheels gleam. But suppose further there’s a disconnect between the spark plugs and the pistons. The car might be beautiful to behold, but it won’t go anywhere.
We can be like that. We can work endlessly at self-improvement: lose weight, learn a new language, master the art of winning friends and influencing people. In a word, we can strive again and again to be the best version of conscious, day-to-day selves.
But if we neglect our “heart of hearts,” our inmost self, our soul – where flashes the spark of divine love, that point of encounter between ourselves and God, then our efforts to improve how we look and how we function will largely be in vain. We’ll be able to roll down a hill by the force of gravity but unable to be propelled towards our true destination, heaven.
So, if you’re sifting through the ashes of your New Year’s resolutions to eat and drink less and go to the gym, try this one: prayer – deep, honest, daily prayer. This is how you and I get to the core of being, to our heart of hearts wherein the fire of God’s love is kindled.
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