“And a softness came from the starlight and filled me to the bone.” -- W. B. Yeats
I AM always wary of persons who like to talk about themselves. You know the type. In fact, there is this joke of two persons who were having a conversation, if you can call it that way, because one person was dominating the talk. Finally, the other person said, can I talk? You have been talking about yourself for so long. The other responded by saying I am sorry. Okay let us talk about you, what do you think about me?” Funny yet true. Funny but tragic, tragic really. There are really people like that, always wanting attention to themselves. Of course, words and conversations are not the only tools to attract attention. You have a whole array out there. Clothes, power, cars, social media posts, food, houses, heck anything. All screaming the same thing, look at me. I share this because of two things.
One, I was watching a TV show that featured a pastor asking an interesting question. He said You all have asked Jesus to save you and my question is how do you know Jesus is in you. And the other thing was I was reading the Gospel in which the Pharisees were asking John what do you have to say for yourself. And that got me thinking because the thoughts came one after the other. So let me break it down a little.
How do you know if Jesus is in you after you have asked Him to save you? Honestly, I believe if you need to ask that question, there is something missing. My take is simple, you will know. That simple. Why? Because your exterior has changed because your interior has been touched. The only person who will know if Jesus is in you, is you. You will just know because you have changed. A psychologist once said that if you want to change how you look at the world all you need to do is change the way you think because with that the world will change. It has to be inner, change always comes from the inward experience. The exterior will not even matter because even if you give away all that you have yet the motive is different, nothing has changed. You really cannot fool yourself. “If I have not love, I am nothing. Just a clanging bell.” And do we have much of those today. Clanging bells, making noise in the name of piety, truth and whatever. But then again, you cannot really fool yourself. I am sure some people are experts in these outward things.
Some have even hired PR firms to boost their images and even rented out trolls to praise them to high heavens. But really, who are you fooling? In the darkness when you are alone, you are alone in the dark.
But the other side of that is fascinating. Because if Jesus is really in your heart, you will exactly be the opposite. You would not care what others think, would not mind what others would say. You would not even show how good or pious or relevant you are. Because you know. Because Jesus is in your heart. Nothing to show, nothing to prove. You are at peace.
Part Two, next.