Lesson 215. Open Your Heart

In Italy, an experiment was conducted using a hidden camera. A little girl, five or six years old, named Valentina, was seated at a small table in a waiting room at some institution. The girl was asked to begin communicating with the people who would be in that room with her. She may have been warned that, if necessary, someone would come to her aid. Then they began filming what took place.

The first visitor entered. From his appearance, one could immediately tell that he was the leader or a member of some criminal group. He was covered in tattoos and had a defiant appearance. He sat down on a chair and began to wait with an indignant expression. Meanwhile, Valentina was quietly playing at the table and solving her little puzzles. Then, in an unobtrusive way, she began getting acquainted with this man and talking with him, and afterward invited him to join her.

With her sincere requests, she drew the visitor into the process of preparing imaginary food, while continuing to talk with him. It ended with Valentina’s new friend breaking into a broad smile and continuing to play with that expression on his face. Then the girl was called, and before leaving, she wrapped her little arms tightly around the neck of her new friend, pressed her cheek against him, and then ran away. Left alone, the man covered his face with his hands and began to cry. I do not know what he was experiencing or thinking about, but tears ran down his face, and he made no attempt to stop them.

After this, Valentina was invited back into the waiting room, where she waited for the next visitor while playing her games. A muscular man of about forty entered. He was covered in tattoos, wore glasses, and had many chains around his neck. From his appearance, it was clear that he feared no one and recognized no authority. He sat down with a detached expression and began to wait.

Valentina introduced herself and began a conversation with him, inviting him to take part in her games.

Very quickly, the visitor changed his demeanor and could not stop smiling. And when the time came to part, after they embraced, he took off one of his chains and gave it to his little friend. When Valentina left, he continued smiling as he stared thoughtfully at the wall.

The third visitor was about one and a half times larger than the previous ones and, judging by the expression on his face, belonged to the same kind of company. But Valentina was able to win his heart as well, and after their farewell embrace, she left him alone to weep in his heart over his difficult life.

I was amazed at how quickly a small, fragile girl was able to open the hearts of these rough men, become their friend, and cause them sincerely to rejoice and weep. She did not know the laws of psychology; she had not yet attended school; perhaps she had never even gone to church. Yet in some astonishing way, she was able to reach the deepest parts of their hearts and touch those strings of the soul that had been hopelessly buried beneath the burden of sin, but were waiting for “their musician.” These men had a choice. They could have spoken harshly to the girl and waited for their turn; they could have hurt her; they could simply have ignored her. Although Valentina knew that someone would come to her aid in case of danger, she behaved so naturally that perhaps she did not even think anything could threaten her. She simply decided, with a childlike heart, to love these people and become their friend, without thinking about the consequences.

Every day when I leave home, I meet different people who have souls and who, somewhere deep within, are waiting for “their musician” so that they may open their hearts and perform the most beautiful song, called “friendship.” But sin has closed the windows of the soul, and iniquity has placed its seal upon this song, and people have to drag out their wretched existence in this world, sometimes not understanding what they want, yet subconsciously waiting for someone who will accept them and help them open up, or someone who will simply need them.

Love knows these needs of the human soul and tirelessly seeks ways to win new hearts.

It is written that unless we become like children, we shall not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. And sometimes I understand how much I lack that childlike simplicity and openness in communicating with people, so that I may simply become their friend. At times I have no desire to do this, but love draws me to new people, urging me toward friendship, while also reminding me that there are old friends who must not be forgotten.

And how joyful it is to see a closed heart begin to open under the influence of your friendliness and warmth of soul, allowing your love and friendship into its heart. Here effort must be made in order to enter and remain a friend. Strength from above is needed; something more than what I possess is needed. And I run to Jesus in prayer and ask Him to give me love, and I receive it so that I may always love and do so from a pure heart. And having received what I asked for, I become a friend for life.

Imagine what would have happened if one of the men about whom I wrote above had simply struck this girl and shouted at her. I think she would simply have stopped taking part in the experiment and perhaps would have lost something very precious and carried that pain through the rest of her life.

But in my life, and in the life of every loving person, this is exactly what happens: you are struck because of your love and kindness; people respond rudely; they strike deliberately, knowing where it will hurt the most; and those dearest and closest to you strike you. But they cannot extinguish this fire in the heart, and these trials do not weaken love, but establish it in the soul, making you stronger. Without God’s help, it is impossible to keep this source of friendliness pure and sincere, and therefore, during trials, there is a constant need for God Himself to produce all these desires, actions, and thoughts within me. And He begins to act. But how tenderly He does it! How carefully He touches the soul of my neighbor; how unobtrusively He offers me, and Himself together with me, in the form of love and friendship. And He waits. During rejection, how understandable Christ’s experiences become to me, when He offers Himself and is refused.

Our neighbors always have a large arsenal of sticks ready with which to strike back, bearing such names as indifference, mockery, rudeness, malice, sarcasm, arrogance, pride, and foolishness. But God’s “armor of righteousness” protects your soul from blows and bruises, and the fire of love draws you toward victory without frightening you with the consequences.

And the only beautiful place where a loving soul finds rest is in the Lord Jesus and in the heart of that friend who opens his soul, accepts you as his brother and friend, and allows you to touch the strings of his soul, so that together you may study and sing that new song of victory, whose words are written by your own life, lived in victories with Christ.

And the loving heart gives endless thanks to God, glorifying His name in all its deeds.

How great and marvellous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty! Who shall not fear Thee and glorify Thee, Thou King of saints?

The life of love teaches me this wonderful song. Recently, someone even set it to music.

And in this song of love lies the foundation of my love, upon which I build my life and my friendship.

And all of this leads us to unity in the body of Christ. We become one whole organism, because we love one another.

1. In the light of our lesson, please read Isaiah 50:4–8; 51:7–8; 61:10, 7; Proverbs 24:16; Jeremiah 1:19; 15:21; 24:7; Revelation 15:3–4; John 17:21–23; 18:37; 2 Corinthians 6:4–10; Romans 8:36–37; Ephesians 6:10–18; Isaiah 12:2–6; Exodus 15:3; Psalm 46:10, 12; and Ephesians 4:15–16.

2. What interesting things were revealed to you in this lesson?

3. Who do you think these musicians are who open people’s hearts?

4. What is vitally necessary for us in order to become a friend forever?

5. Why does the Lord permit us to receive blows from those close to us?

6. What helps a warrior of Christ during battle?

7. What advantages do those who love have?

8. Does love lead to unity in Christ?