“If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts” (Hebrews 3:10)

This passage, which is an echo of Psalm 95, reminds us that God is always looking to communicate with us – and we must be open and ready. It is so easy to get locked in to our plans and schedules that we forget that we are made for relationship – for connection with others. God can speak to us through people or nature in a variety of ways. If our hearts are ‘hard’ – through lack of openness, lack of compassion, lack of wonder – then we will not hear God. Worse still would be to hear God and ignore the call to openness, compassion, wonder, relationship because it doesn’t fit in with our selfish, myopic plans.

The message for young people is to cultivate a relationship with God – in prayer and reflection and reverence and wonder at all the gifts God has bestowed upon us. If we have hearts of flesh, of wonder, of compassion, we will be open to others; we will be drawn towards our best selves. We will most likely live our life to the full – and helps those around us to do so, too.

Have a great week!
Patrick