Importance of the Heart
Why is the “Heart” such an important symbol?
In communications, the “Heart” is the universal symbol of love. Every culture would know what the other meant if they were sent a finger heart, photo, or drawing.
One of my cousins is never shy about throwing hearts at people over Snapchat or just in life. No one ever wonders what she is doing. I think Asian dramas are also great examples of using the heart as an obvious symbol of affection. In one of the Korean dramas I have recently finished enjoying, there was a scene where our leading man learned what a finger heart was, but it is obvious that there was affection behind our leading lady who sent it and him who found out what he was receiving.
In Anatomy, we learn that the heart is one of the first organs to develop in a fetus. By week 4, in a pregnancy, the cardiovascular chambers are developing, and by week 6, there is circulatory work being done. The Brain needs the heart to pump blood in order for it to function properly. Meaning the brain and heart are practically tied for the position of MVO, “Most Valuable Organ.”
Although it is not very large, it is extremely strong, running on an average of 100,000 beats daily and pumping 1.5 gallons of blood per minute.
The Bible puts a strong emphasis on the value of “Heart.” In Scripture, “Heart” is mentioned 826 times, 23 more times than Moses (803), who is one of the top three names repeated in the Bible.
When Jesus was talking to his disciples, he said:
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and most important commandment.”
He leads with “Heart,” and I think this is for a specific purpose. The heart is the driving force of humanity. It is the emotional control center, and is what drives our desires and has an alarming influence on thoughts. The Bible tells us in other places that he wants to give us the desires of our heart, or the heart is where we need to store up our treasures.
“The heart never takes the place of the head: but it can, and should, obey it.”
The “Heart” is the driving force of humanity. Whether we want to admit it or not, we are emotional beings. Literally created to be companions for God and given free choice to follow our desires. Why would he do this if he knew that our desires may lead us astray?
As a communication major, the heart has always been a symbol of love. As a writer, you can describe how someone feels by whether or not their heart rate speeds up, or they could hear their heartbeat over the sound of the crowded room, or if it skips a beat when they touch. For Chloe, in the medical field, the heart is one of the most important organs because it keeps everything else alive.
As I think about “Heart” being mentioned over 800 times, I still am left to wonder why. The “Heart” symbolizes the resting place of the Holy Spirit within us. But the best way I have heard it explained so far is this… God knew that we would struggle to give our hearts and desires to him, so he continually reminded us that the “Heart” needs to be given to him… DAILY!
Our hearts were made to glorify God, and that is why it is so important.
Until Next Time,
Peace Out, Lovers!
