I was googling this morning looking for a specific C.S. Lewis quote. I couldn't find it and instead found this one:
"It is safe to tell the pure in heart that they shall see God, for only the pure in heart want to."It meshed very well with my dark reverie on the bus ride this morning. It is becoming clearer to me that purity of heart is a high calling, and, I believe, really God's achievement. I can affect purity of manners and speech, I can strive to keep my eyes pure, watch my language, keep my temper in check, and even be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.
- C.S. Lewis, The Problem Of Pain
These are all good things. But my inner core, is it golden or cardboard? And if my heart is not pure, how does it get purified? Only God can do it; there is no other way. He is the great Alchemist who can turn the hard, discarded rocks that beat in our chests into hearts of gold. Pure. And blessed!
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
- Psalm 51:10 (ESV)


Good post, Bill.
But haven't you heard? There's too much Lewis in the blogosphere. Get some Watchman Nee up here, stat!
:-p