J Heinrich Arnold-Freedom from sinful thoughts.pdf

FREEDOM FROM SINFUL THOUGHTS -P U R I F I C A T I O NThe Swedish writer Selma Lagerlöf tells the story ofa knight who, having lit a candle at the tomb of Jesus onone of the Crusades, vows to bring back this flame,unextinguished, to his home town in Italy. Thoughrobbed by highwaymen and met by every possiblecalamity and danger on his journey, the knight is set onone thing only: to guard and protect his small flame. Atthe end of the story, we see how single-minded devotiontransfigures this knight completely: having left home aruthless warrior, capable of the worst deeds, he hasreturned a new man.If, like this knight, we set our heart on one thing alone,we too can be wholly transfigured: “When he appearswe will be like him, and we shall see him as he is. Everyonewho has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he ispure” (1 Jn. 3:2–3). But as long as we remain divided, wewill (to quote my father’s book Innerland) also remain“weak, flabby, and indolent; incapable of acceptingGod’s will, making important decisions, and takingstrong action…Purity of heart is nothing else than theabsolute integrity needed to overcome enervatingdesires.”Before we dismiss this “absolute integrity” asanother impossible ideal, let us look at what the apostlePaul says about purification. He takes it for granted thatwe will always have arguments and obstacles in our65