The Deepest Longings of the Heart

Over the past two days, we’ve reflected on 2 Corinthians 6:11–12, where the Apostle Paul writes, “We have spoken frankly to you Corinthians; our heart is wide open to you. There is no restriction in our affections, but only in yours. In return… open wide your hearts also.”

One of my favorite children’s books is The Velveteen Rabbit. I loved it as a child, and when I began reading it to my own children, I discovered a deeper wisdom within its pages.

It’s a beautiful story about toys in a young boy’s nursery who all long to be loved and to become “real” to the boy. The Skin Horse, an old and wise toy, shares some advice with the Rabbit:

“Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time—not just to play with, but REALLY loves you—then you become Real.”

“Does it hurt?” asked the Rabbit.
“Sometimes,” said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. “When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.”

“Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,” he asked, “or bit by bit?”
“It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”

One of the deepest longings of the human soul is the longing to be seen, to be loved, and to be accepted.

Paul encourages the church in Corinth—and he encourages us: “Open wide your hearts…”

Let us pray: God of Love, in Jesus Christ you walked among us. We thank you for your incarnate love. We also thank you today for the people you have brought into our lives—for neighbors, friends, family, our church family, and others who walk the journey with us. Thank you for moments of laughter, for dinners and conversations shared, for hugs and smiles, and for the way their presence makes the journey richer. We pray today especially for those who feel lonely. May they know your presence and love even now. Grant us your grace, your patience, your forgiveness, and your love—that we might be better friends to those we love, and better able to reach out to those who need us most. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.