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Purity of Heart in practice: The Good in truth!

  • Writer: Tom Robinson
    Tom Robinson
  • Jul 18, 2024
  • 4 min read

Without reading an enormous amount of philosophy then understanding how I've got to this point will be virtually impossible... But... having put 'Purity of Heart is to Will One Thing' (Soren Kierkegaard) into practice in recent months then I can tell you - it is true... it is the Good in Truth that brings one to God. For 'only the pure of heart will see God.'


To attempt this explanation here's an outline of the principles of the book...


Kierkegaard’s Address Outlined


  1. If it is to be possible, that a man can will only one thing, then he must will the Good.

  2. If it be possible for a man really in truth to will one thing, then he must will the Good in truth.

  • If it be possible for a man to will the Good in truth, then he must be at one with himself in willing to renounce all double-mindedness.

  1. The man who desires the Good for the sake of the reward does not will one thing, but is double-minded.

  2. The man who only wills the Good out of fear of punishment does not will one thing. He is double-minded.

  3. The man who wills the Good and wills its victory out of a self-centered willfulness does not will one thing. He is double-minded.

  4. There is a versatile form of double-mindedness: the double-mindedness of weakness as it appears in the common things of real life; upon the fact that the person who only wills the Good up to a certain degree is double-minded.

  • If a man shall will the good in truth, then he must be willing to do all for the good or be willing to suffer all for the good.

  1. If a man shall will the good in truth, then he must be willing to do all for the Good.

  2. If a man in truth wills the Good then he must be willing to suffer all for the Good.



This explains why I have been doing what I've been doing for the last few months since reading Purity of Heart is to Will One Thing...


It sounds ridiculous but when I read re-read and understood Kierkegaard I LEAPT down into humility and raced towards the GOOD in truth.


I had just finished my second novel which I'd worked on relentlessly for two years and I'd reached a natural 'break'. So, I started at church. I didn't want any kind of 'reward' or recognition (since that would be double-minded) so I weeded and weeded the church graveyard in solitude. I immediately began to understand what Kierkegaard was on about. There was absolutely no contradiction or double-mindedness - it was simply willing the Good in Truth and it made me feel so GOOD! (and close to God in all sorts of ways!)


I then wondered what I should be doing which was willing the Good in truth but ALSO actually helping people (weeding the graveyard and leading by example is helping people but I wanted to be more pro active!)


I thought about working with the elderly (since rowing my grandmother over the horizon this year) so I have been going to the memory cafe at Brill and sitting talking to the widows and widowers (we can learn so much from the generations above). Not only did they appreciate this massively but I also benefitted again from willing the Good in TRUTH.


I then realised that my friends and family could massively benefit from this purity of heart -so that accounts for all the climbing on the roof and cleaning the gutters for my parents, weeding their paddocks of 1000 thistles, strimming, tidying, washing, stitching my clothes back together and the horses' rugs, hoovering the cars out etc etc etc, PLUS gardening for my friends, catching difficult horses, scrubbing their horsebox floors with wetwipes, walking dogs, looking after their kids, taking a deep interest in my Godchildrens' wellbeing etc etc etc.


There is no 'reward' in terms of money and never do I wish for there to be - the reward is the purity of heart and the closeness to God through the Good in Truth. Inexplicable really but it is an energy which will give and give and one is prepared to suffer all for the Good therefore one can keep giving and giving and giving. It is love, it is the Good in truth.


There does come the small problem of being able to afford to drive to places, buy food to stay alive, etc etc!!! I do hope that one day my writing will be noticed and if there is a 'reward' by 'accident' then I will gladly accept it! I do accept offers of money when I'm doing a big job for house-sitting or a massive gardening job - I kind of have to because how on earth am I supposed to keep going if I don't?! BUT the best reward does come from purity of heart when I am offering my time, support, help, love, without double-mindedness, not seeking any reward and simply willing the GOOD in truth.


If more people understood this then the world would be a much better place!


TR


Purity of Heart is to Will One Thing; Soren Kierkegaard


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