
But
have you even experience this ‘heartburn’ for a non-physical reason? And if you
have, what have you done about it? These were the questions that challenged me
from a recent sermon.
The
disciples in ‘The Road to Emmaus’ story also had ‘heartburn’ for as reported in
Luke, they said “Were not our hearts
burning within us…?” (Luke 24:32[a]) but this heartburn wasn’t caused by
something they ate, but rather by someone they had talked to.
Have
you had this experience? You hear a sermon or maybe just a random comment from
a friend and suddenly you stand convicted. Perhaps you see a story of the
evening newscast or read an article in the newspaper, and your awareness
changes. You can’t really describe how you feel or even what you feel, you just
know you have to do something about it. Your heart burns within you!
There
is no Tums to relieve this sort of heartburn. Sometimes we manage to forget the
cause and it disappears. But if we’re really lucky a little niggling remnant
stays with us until we are finally do something about it. And that is the key,
I believe. ACTION! Once we act on whatever it is that makes our hearts burn
within us, we open the door to future actions being easier. Wherever this heartburn leads you it won’t be to the medicine cabinet for a pill to relieve
the feeling. It will involve you getting your hands dirty, putting yourself out
there on the line, standing up and being counted for what you feel is important
in this life. It will lead you down the road trod by Jesus as you attempt to
put into expression justice, love, compassion and non-violence in the place where you live. At least that is what my heart
challenges me to do.
How
does your heart challenge you?
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