Tag: scripture

• Navigating through the Bible’s Shadow

  One of this blog’s patrons named Aaron asked, in response to my post Nonduality in the Bible and Us:

  Not sure if you’ve posted one before, but is there a resource that collects verses for the mystical and non dual in the Bible? Did you have a post that had more?

  Also, this is just a passing thought. This post is beautiful in how it handles the non dual. But what about the shadow side of the Bible. The terrible things (god rejoices when the infants heads are dashed upon the rocks) or the very dualistic things (wives should submit to their husbands)? How should we as contemplativea treat such things? Should we only focus on the nondual and the beautiful loving parts of scripture (like a confirmation bias of sorts)? How can we still take the Bible as a whole with the terrible and downright evil in some cases and still be true to love and our contemplative practice? This has seriously prevented me from studying the Bible and doing lectio for years.

  A quick answer to your first question: one of my dream projects is to compile a nondual guide or commentary to scripture. Since I am not a scripture scholar, it’s an overwhelming thought, but something like that needs to be put together. So unless someone beats me to it, I hope to make it happen — someday.

  But on to the question about the shadow side of the Bible. Aaron mentioned Psalm 137:9 and Ephesians 5:22 — but there’s more where those came from. Indeed, a British newspaper a few years back published a list of the Top 10 Worst Bible Passages. In addition to infanticide and the subjugation of women, you can add genocide, slavery, the sanctioning of violence agains gay persons and psychics, and plenty more.

  I think it is vitally important for Christians (and Jews, and anyone else drawn to the Jewish and Christian scriptures) to honestly and fairly reckon with these violent, misogynist, homophobic, and otherwise disturbing passages in the Bible (and the same should be done for violent or disturbing passages in any other sacred scriptures, such as the Quran).

  Why do I say that? First, because authenticity demands no less.

  But also because I believe that these “shadow verses” (or in the words of scripture scholar Phyllis Trible, these “Texts of Terror“) make it clear how important it is to read the Bible through the lens of sound scholarship and interpretation. You can believe the Bible is the word of God, and perhaps even believe it is inerrant. But such beliefs must be forged in the furnace of honest and informed scholarship. Anything less suggests, frankly, that God is a slavery-condoning, sexist, homophobic, violent monster.

  I for one have no interest in bowing before such a monstrous god. I also know that the God I do recognize and worship — the God of unconditional love and infinite mercy — is well-represented in the Bible, and is in no way undermined by the shadow verses, as long as they are understood in a scholarly way.

  

  Reading Through the Eyes of Love

  I don’t have a source for this, so I may be getting it wrong, but I attended a catechist’s conference a few years back and heard a Bible scholar talk about methods of interpretation. He quoted one of the church fathers — I believe it was Saint Augustine — as saying something to the effect of “you should interpret every passage of the Bible in the light of the love of God.” Well, whoever said that first, wiser words were never spoken.

  If we read every passage — including the texts of terror — through the eyes of love, it becomes easier to see when a passage represents the limitations or biases of the author — and not a declaration of the Divine Will.

  For example, when the Bible suggests that God condones slavery, we know that God is a God of love and justice — so clearly, those slavery-accepting passages represent the cultural bias of the human author, and not the word of God. The same goes for all the shadow verses that suggest God is okay with violence, or genocide, or sexism, homophobia, and so forth. If a passage undermines God’s love and mercy, we can safely assume that the passage is telling us more about human imperfection than about divine perfection.

  It’s so important to read the Bible as a documentation of centuries of human beings striving to more fully respond to God’s love. Any great love story is filled with twists and turns, conflicts and misunderstandings, moments when fear or jealousy or anger threaten to overwhelm the power of love. When it comes to the love story between humanity and God, these same dynamics appear. But all the failings happen on the human side.

  So the Bible records so many ways that we humans get it wrong. We project onto God our biases, our bigotries, our prejudices. Humans can be violent, and we want to think that God condones our violence (but not the violence of our enemies, of course!). We can be hostile toward those who are “other” — other tribes, other races, other cultures, other gender, other sexualities. So it’s not surprising that those kinds of shadow perspectives show up in the Bible — it may be the word of God, but it is the word of God filtered through the writing of sinful humans.

  I should also point out that, in addition to the shadow verses/texts of terror, there’s plenty in the Bible that simply seems irrelevant to us today, from the never-ending legal minutiae of Leviticus to so much of the prophetic writings that seem to be responding to very specific moments of history. Do these passages teach us about God? Perhaps — but often they seem to say more about the writers and their circumstances. And it’s okay to recognize this, and to read such passages with that cultural context in mind.

  Doing Lectio Divina Honestly

  Back to Aaron’s question. Given that the Bible is a text that is difficult to read and interpret, with passages that seem to say more about humanity’s sin than about God’s grace, why should we bother to even study the Bible, let alone use it as a jumping-off point for meditation, prayer, and contemplation? (If you’re not familiar with the practice of Lectio Divina, read this post: Lectio Divina Every Day).

  Aaron asks (in regard to the shadow passages),

  How should we as contemplativea treat such things? Should we only focus on the nondual and the beautiful loving parts of scripture (like a confirmation bias of sorts)? How can we still take the Bible as a whole with the terrible and downright evil in some cases and still be true to love and our contemplative practice?

  I think it’s important to read the entire text, not just the “good stuff.” So no confirmation bias is necessary. Part of having an adult faith is learning to grapple with the shadow side of life — including the shadow side of our faith community and belief structure. So we need to “receive” the violent and oppressive parts of scripture — not to merely accept them, but to argue with them, understand them, and use them as a reminder of what we know is true about God: God’s justice, love, and mercy.

  These passages are like distractions during prayer. In his wonderful book Into the Silent Land, contemplative teacher Martin Laird shows how distractions during prayer can actually lead us to deeper silence. I think the same is true for the shadow passages in the Bible. They testify to the truth, beauty and goodness of God by reminding us that sometimes we human beings get God wrong.

  So how do we remain true to love and contemplative practice? Fortunately, there is still so much wisdom, beauty, and light in the Bible that if we are diligent in reading it through, we are continually being trained in the goodness, mercy, love and forgiveness of God. We use the Bible as a whole to interpret any one part of it — including the difficult parts. So, ironically, being faithful to a regular practice of lectio divina actually equips us to deal with  the difficult passages better: even though when we encounter such passages, we will naturally recoil from them and argue with them. That’s how it should be.

  One final thought. The Biblical scholar John Dominic Crossan has written a book that can help Christians who struggle with the violence in the Bible. It’s worth reading: How to Read the Bible and Still Be a Christian: Is God Violent? An Exploration from Genesis to Revelation.

  January 26, 2019

  Bible, Lectio Divina, scripture, texts of terror

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• Ten Bible Verses About Silence, Stillness and Solitude

  This evening I’ve been asked to speak to a small house church in my neighborhood on the spirituality of silence.

  This particular community is evangelical, and silence is not something that they have traditionally placed a lot of emphasis on. But their pastor (who lives across the street from me) is discerning in his heart a call to greater silence in his prayer, and knowing that silence is “my thing” he invited me to come share with the community.

  It seems to me that for a community like that, the best  way to introduce them to the spirituality of silence is to share with them a variety of Biblical verses that affirm the beauty and importance of silence, as well as stillness and solitude.

  So I drew up the list of the following verses, and figured it was worth sharing here. These versions (with the exception of Psalm 65) come from the New Revised Standard Version, but almost any scholarly Bible translation will reveal how important silence is in these passages. What I love about each of these passages is that they look at silence not in human terms (i.e., keeping silent — or speaking out — when relating to others), but rather they all point us to the beauty and meaning of silence in how we relate to God. I know that it’s dangerous to use proof-texts, but still, I can’t help but believe that these verses taken together make a powerful witness to how silence is an essential nutrient for the spiritual life.

  “Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

  “For God alone my soul in silence waits.” Psalm 62:1

  “To you, O God, silence is praise.” Psalm 65:1 (this verse is often mistranslated)

  “But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him!” Habakkuk 2:20

  “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” Isaiah 30:15

  “Be silent before the Lord God! For the day of the Lord is at hand; the Lord has prepared a sacrifice, he has consecrated his guests.” Zephaniah 1:7

  “It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” Lamentations 3:26

  “In the morning, while it was still very dark, Jesus got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed.” Mark 1:35

  “When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.” Revelation 8:1

  “He said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.” I Kings 19:11-12 (other versions render this as “a still small voice” or “a light silent sound”)

  Are there other Biblical passages about silence, stillness and solitude that you love? Please let me know!

  October 6, 2018

  Bible, scripture, silence

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• Lectio Divina Every Day

  

  “Love for Jesus is fed by constant meditation on the Gospels.”
  — Michael Casey, OCSO

  A prominent pastor who hosts an Internet podcast once interviewed me for his show, and at the close of our conversation asked me, “What is the one book you would recommend to readers as the most essential title to read, for the purpose of understanding Christian mysticism?”

  Without batting an eye I said, “The Bible, of course.” I don’t think that was the answer he was expecting!

  But it’s true. If you had to limit your reading to just one book, then forget Meister Eckhart, forget Julian of Norwich, forget Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross, forget The Cloud of Unknowing, forget John Ruusbroec. As wonderful as all those authors are (and, yes, I commend these books to anyone who seeks to learn about, or engage in, mystical spirituality), they are all, fundamentally, simply commentaries on sacred scripture, which is the true essential textbook for the contemplative way.

  Here’s the thing to keep in mind. Christian contemplation, unlike other forms of mystical philosophy, is ultimately about a relationship: or, perhaps better said, a web of relationships. God is love. Jesus gave us four essential challenges: to love  that God who is love, and to love our neighbors, as we love ourselves, and if we really take him seriously, to love even our enemies. Love God, love neighbors, love self, love enemies. Since love is the glue that holds relationships together, Christian spirituality is a spirituality of relationships. And contemplation (or mysticism) is ultimately about fostering the relationship with God, the love we seek to give back to the Source of All Love, through silence, through meditation, through prayer, through contemplation.

  And this is where the Bible comes in. The words of Sacred Scripture frame and support the silence of contemplation the way that a solid foundation provides the base for a beautiful building to stand. But that’s a two way street: the nurturing silence of mindfulness gives us the freedom and non-attachment necessary to read the Bible with contemplative eyes. Silence and the Word go together like the yin and the yang comprise the Tao.

  Christian spirituality rests on the relationship we forge with Christ, in response to the Love of God. And we meet Christ in many ways — in the hearts of loved ones, in the Eucharist, in those in need. Scripture, likewise, is a solid and foundational way in which we encounter Christ. Through the words of the Bible, we are invited into the living heart of Christ, and we are called to invite Him into our hearts, as well.

  Many Christians approach the Bible as if it were a textbook, or worse yet, a code of law, rather than a love letter. But the mystics and contemplatives have always understoood that the Bible is first and foremost about love, which is why their favorite book in the Bible has always been The Song of Songs, the juicy love poem at the heart of the Hebrew Wisdom Literature. Yes, we can read the Bible to learn about God (textbook), or to discover and apply God’s commandments in our lives (code of law) — but both of those approaches to scripture are meant to be subordinate to the invitation into love. For God is Love.

  So put aside all ideas you might have about “studying” the Bible-as-textbook or Bible-as-code-of-law. Let me invite you into an ancient way of reading the Bible, a prayerful and meditative way, that emphasizes love and relationship, and helps us to foster that intimacy with God that we crave (even if we aren’t conscious of it). This method of Bible reading is called Lectio Divina (Latin for “sacred reading”).

  Lectio Divina has been a part of Christian spirituality since at least the sixth century, and perhaps long before that. It is a beautiful way to integrate four essential practices: engaging with the Word of God as encountered in sacred scripture, meditating on the graces and mysteries of faith, prayer as a way of opening the thoughts of our mind and feelings of our heart to God, and resting in the vast open presence of contemplative silence. Lectio is an integral spiritual method which effortlessly weaves these four dimensions of devotion into one meaningful daily exercise.

  A short treatise called The Ladder of Monks: A Letter on the Contemplative Life, written by the Carthusian Guigo II in the twelfth century, spells out a basic process for engaging in Lectio Divina, which still is eminently useful today. The heart of the practice is not so much what we do (or even the order in which we do it), but the way we approach the text we are reading.

  • Lectio — Read — the key is to read slowly, prayerfully, meditatively. Linger over the words, savoring their message for you. Do not encumber yourself with Bible commentaries or other supplemental books — save those for study time. Rather, simply find a passage, a short passage, maybe even just one or a few verses, and read them slowly, attentively, mindfully. This is not a race. Read a passage, and reread it. You can keep reading until it seems that a particular word or phrase is speaking to you, but stop then. Allow a sacred pause. Take a few relaxing breaths. Now you are ready to move to the next step:
  • Meditatio — Reflect — traditionally, meditation in a Christian sense involved the process of reflecting on a word or teaching or one of the mysteries of the faith. Allow yourself to sit with the word or phrase that has spoken to you. Feel whatever feeling it elicits in you. Ponder what questions it asks of you. Perhaps you feel blessed or inspired, or confused or challenged or convicted. Simply let the Word of God speak to you. At this point, it’s less about you reading the Bible, and more about the Word of God “reading” you. Sooner or later, every conversation involves give-and-take, so at some point you’l be ready for the next step:
  • Oratio — Respond — God reveals Divine Love to us through sacred scripture, and now we are asked to reveal the hidden depths of our hearts and minds to God through prayer. Of course, God already knows the hidden places in our hearts and minds, but it is a blessing to us to consciously seek to hold those secret dimensions into the Light of Love. Pray to God, in response to the words you have read and the reflections you have pondered. You don’t have to be eloquent or fancy in your prayer. It could be as simple as “God, I love you” or “Lord, today’s reading really confused me/upset me.” Be honest with God. Express your doubts, your longings, your desires, your fears, your dreams. Express adoration and devotion, of course; confess sins when that is necessary as well. Take however long you need to share your mind and heart with the God Who is Love. This doesn’t need to last forever (it might only take a minute or two). You’ll sense when you have prayed all you need to pray, at least in terms of thoughts and feelings. Then it is time for the final step:
  • Contemplatio — Rest — “Be still and know that I am God,” speaks the Lord in Psalm 46; in other verses in the Psalms we are invited to let our souls rest for God in silence and even to recognize that silence itself is praise. We begin the process of Lectio Divina by seeking the Word of God through the Bible, and we end by seeking the silence of God through contemplative prayer, the prayer of restful, attentive silence. Here we “do” nothing more than breathe gently, allowing our thoughts and feelings to come and go without commentary or attachment. We can use a prayer word or verse (my favorite, again from the Psalms, is “O God, come to my assistance; O Lord, make haste to help me”) as a way of focussing our mind/heart so that we are less likely to be distracted by distractions during this period of rest. This is like a “Sabbath” prayer: we seek to grow in love of God simply by resting in God’s heart, the way a small child rests on her mother’s lap. We let go, and let God. We praise God simply by resting in silence, trusting in God’s love to hold us.

  So that is the process of Lectio Divina. Monks and nuns and other Christians with a lively thirst for God have engaged in this simple prayer practice for centuries, giving some time every day to the adventure of falling ever more deeply in love with God through reading the Bible, reflecting on the Word, responding to God in prayer, and then resting in Divine Love and silence.

  

  I encourage you to give it a try. Today is a good day to start. If you would like to learn more about Lectio Divina, here are a few books for further reading:

  • Sacred Reading: the Ancient Art of Lectio Divina by Michael Casey, OCSO;
  • Lectio Matters: Before the Burning Bush by Mary Margaret Funk;
  • Too Deep for Words: Rediscovering Lectio Divina by Thelma Hall.

  For a Bible, I recommend staying away from Study Bibles or Bibles filled with notes that will encourage you to approach it like a textbook rather than a love letter. My favorite Bible for Lectio is the Saints Devotional Edition, available in the New Jerusalem Bible translation or the New American Bible Revised Edition.  And since I’m at the age where my eyes prefer larger type Bibles, I also enjoy using the New Revised Standard Version with Extra-Large Type (!).

  Enjoy Lectio. It’s meant to be a joy, not a chore. Remember the reason for doing it: to discover the love of God, and to let that love transfigure your heart.

  July 30, 2014

  Bible, Contemplation, Featured, Lectio Divina, meditation, Prayer, scripture

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