Cramped is the dwelling of my soul; expand it, that You may enter in.” (Augustine Confessions ch.5)
In HK we live in cramped conditions. It is the permanent quest to move to a bigger flat. Even the most filthy rich have limitations that their wealth in another land would release them from. Few enjoy the luxury of space.
And so the treasure of space becomes an all-consuming quest. We go on incessant holidays like an addict always needing another ‘I need to get out of HK-fix’ because the sense of being overwhelmed, hemmed in, crowded is suffocating. We move into one apartment and long to find a bigger one. The chase for space, for a green and pleasant place, is a relentless one which for many remains out of reach.
And yet, a deeper reason for feeling cramped is that our hearts have become crowded. We have cluttered our souls with so much junk that we can barely breathe above the comparison, the envy, the grudges and the rumbling discontentment which simmers under our well-polished exteriors. We shrink our lives down to a sarcastic comment, an ignoring glance, appreciation not granted or respect not given. We rejoice at the downfall of our competitors and mourn at the discomforting of ourselves. The ocean of riches that is ours becomes but a puddle in our eyes as Facebook reveals the glories that others possess exposing our own sense of poverty.
While the trifling whimsies of heaving lumps of mobile metal leave us salivating for the prospect of a minute behind the wheel, the chance to serve stricken image of God on our streets, in our offices and in our homes prompts sighs and groans – the burden too heavy and the yoke unreasonable.
How small and cramped are our hearts. Even IKEA furniture would not fit among the clutter. And so the promise to Job comes like a shot to the arm:
“He is wooing you from the jaws of distress to a spacious place free from restriction” (Job 36:16).
And the words of the apostle Paul which state –
“where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom.” (2 Cor 3:17)
Father, my heart is cramped. Expand it. Enlarge it. Open up my valves to let the flow of your life, of your love remove the cholesterol of sin that blocks my arteries. Bust through the clogging idols to cause me to breath in your oxygen – to energise my soul. Change my diet to feast on your Word, not on others’ words. Renew my spirit and transplant your love into my dying organs. That I could live for you.