bible.com/bible/1588/ezk.36.26.AMP
I am slowly but surely climbing out of the pit that I found myself in following the latest surgical procedure. I am better able to express myself, because I am not distracted by pain or dulled by painkillers. I am not fully functioning yet, but when I read this verse of the day, I was moved to start writing, again.
When I read this verse about a heart of stone being taken away and replaced with a heart of flesh, questions come to mind. One is the idea of a heart of stone. Another is a heart of flesh. What are they? What do they look like in people? What does a heart of stone look like today? What does a heart of flesh look like today? Why would I want a heart of flesh instead of a heart of stone? How do I get a heart of flesh?
About an hour or so from my house is the world’s largest exposed piece of granite. This rock, also known as Stone Mountain, has been around for hundreds of years. I have pictures of my grandmother on this rock as a young lady with my mother as a toddler. Stone Mountain looks today, much as it did 70+ years ago when my mother visited it. It’s been a part of the landscape for years, but other than erosion or weathering, Stone Mountain is unchanged. It does not expand or grow. It does not produce anything. Stone Mountain is simply there. It occupies space in the landscape without giving back or changing.
A heart of stone is a physical representation of a heart of flesh. It looks the same as a heart of flesh, but that’s where the similarities end. A heart of stone is one that is cold, like most rocks. It’s as uncaring, unfeeling, and immovable as a boulder. A heart of stone is alive as much as a rock is alive. A heart of stone doesn’t grow with compassion or empathy for others. A heart of stone doesn’t feel love, sadness, anger, or happiness. It simply is there – cold, lifeless, and unfeeling.
Today, if a person has a heart of stone, we may call them stoic. They aren’t moved to act by emotions or compassion. A stone-hearted person may give, but they don’t give joyfully or out of any sense of caring. It’s a duty or an obligation. Much in the way that Stone Mountain is part of the landscape, a person who has a heart of stone is a part of the world, but they don’t involve themselves in the world around them.
A heart of flesh is the opposite of a heart of stone. It’s vibrant and living. A heart of flesh pumps blood and supports the functioning of the body which houses it. Without a beating heart, a person simply stops living.
Today, a person who has a heart of flesh may be called generous, or empathetic, or compassionate, or dynamic. A person who has a heart of flesh doesn’t simply exist, they live. They live by making a difference in the lives of people that surround them. They are moved to action by situations that anger them or grieve them. A person who has a heart of flesh doesn’t speak out about the good things that they do. Others who notice the activity of a flesh-hearted person will do that. A person who has a heart of flesh will say things like, “What can I do to make a better world for others?”
After looking at the differences of a person who has a stony heart versus a person who has a fleshy heart, I want to have a fleshy one. I want to care about things other than myself – people, animals, plants, the environment- the list can go on and on. But, is a fleshy heart in the cards for me? After living for more than half a century, is change possible?
The answer to both questions is a resounding, “yes.” How is it possible to change from existing to living? Change is possible when a person becomes friends with and maintains a relationship with God. It’s impossible to walk away from an encounter with God and not be changed.
When people allow God to work on their behalf, then these people will notice others. The changed people will discover ways to help, ways to alleviate suffering, ways to love others, and ways to reflect the joy that God has put in these vital, beating, and living hearts of flesh. To quote the song, Pass it On, “That’s how it is with God’s love, once you’ve experienced it. You spread his love to ev’ryone. You want to pass it on.” Let your heart of flesh beat and act in your world. Your actions, done out of love, will be contagious.
Journey with Monica 
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