Hildegard von Bingen: A Woman of Vision

Vision is a wonderful film about the life of the 12th century Benedictine nun, Hildegard von Bingen. von Bingen was a woman well ahead of her time, a maveric in every positive sense of that word. She was multi-talented; a Christian mystic, writer, composer, naturalist, herbalist and ecological activist.

Each time I hear that name, "Hildegard von Bingen", I am reminded that I first learned about this unique woman in a monastic setting, at the Order of the Holy Cross, West Park, New York. How fitting was that and yet how appropriate! A personal reminder of the great religious and spiritual writers who have come from monastic settings. This German film does a fantastic job in introducing one of the fascinating religious mystics of her time and ours.

Born almost a thousand years ago (that's right a thousand years), von Bingen remains a person who seems well ahead of her time. Surprisingly von Bingen's life, themes, and interests seem strangely modern and resonate to us moderns. The film demonstrates how with courage von Bingen was able to challenge church rules and found several convents. She was also a theologian who loved books and learning. Some of the titles of von Bingen's books are "Know the Paths of the Lord", "The Healing Power of Nature", and "The Book of Divine Works". von Bingen was also a scientist and herbalist. She was also a composer and her music is wonderful and hanuting-again ahead of her time. And just as the title Vision indicates, von Bingen also had "visions" of God and the future.

Vision is an important film for several reasons. Here you will be introduced to a unique and passionate Christian mystic. Second, you will have the opportunity to learn about a fascinating and profound woman who seemed well ahead of her time and even ours. Third, you will be introduced to von Bingen's main ideas and some of her music. Fourth, you will have the chance to learn something about the Benedictine way and tradition. Fifth, you will understand that von Bingen also is within the Celtic tradition. von Bingen warned that we needed to protect Nature and that if we mistreated "the elements", it could turn against us. 

I've included a link here where you can see clips from the movie and listen to some of von Bingen's music.

In praise of trash

This past week I had a radiator replaced on my Chevy truck. Not exactly the kind of thing I wanted to do on a holiday, but what else can one do? And anytime I have a block of three to four hours to do something, I always have a good book with me to pass the time. This time, it was Peter Damian Belisle's The Language of Silence, a great book on monastic solitude which I will review in a later article.  Perhaps it had something to do with the monastic stress on "awareness" but something strange happened. Let me share it with you.

To pass the time of day, I parked myself at one of the local bus stops-to get out of the sun-and to have a place where I could read some of Belisle's wonderful book. While reading, I noted that several people stopped by to sort through a nearby trashcan, searching for bottles, cans, anything they could redeem for cash. Even though I was reading, I kept my inner eye on what was taking place around me. It was fascinating! The people didn't even seem to notice (or care) that I was there. One person even sorted through the trash can, picking out odd letters and notes, which he read and kept, and then went on his way.

This got me to thinking. What struck me was how such an activity-people sorting through trash-has now become an accepted part of American life. I would even go onto venture that can diving is now part of one's everyday experience. This was not so in the past, when such behavior was seen as "odd" but now I've noticed how frequent it is to see people from many different social and ethnic backgrounds, searching for bottles and cans, pushing shopping carts full of bottles, or to be seen walking with plastic bags, and doing whatever it takes, just to get by and make a few extra dollars.  Trash diving is now the norm. No doubt it is a sign of the difficult economic and social times we now live in. I can remember a time-not long ago-when I heard about this kind of thing in far away places like India, or Dickens's London, where people sort through all the trash looking for any and all items of value. But now I am sad to say that such practices  happen in the USA as well. These are interesting times indeed!

These are difficult economic times, and people will do whatever they need to do in order to survive, so we should not be surprised. Most importantly of all, these experiences reminded me that these persons, these "trash pickers" are people too, who are made in God's image. They are people with whom I have something in common, and not strangers. And even though some might suffer from mental illness or have an addiction, they are of great value. They are my brothers and sisters!

I have experienced this on a local level for years. At St. Aidan's Church for example, there is an individual who calls himself "the bottle and can man" (he even has a business card with that printed on it) and one of the things he does is recycle. He is willing to go anywhere at any time, just to make a few extra dollars, and collect empty bottles and cans. Bless that man, and bless those who are merely trying to get by. God's word reminds us that these folks are our extended family, and that it is our responsbility to reach out to them, care for them, and be Christ's heart and hands. Curious, isn't it, that in reaching out to the stranger and the poor, that we find the face and presence of Christ. Our natural inclination might be to run or turn our back from such a person. Yet the divine imperative is to reach out.

Coming to a trash can near you! A human being trying to survive. And coming to you, the wonderful opportunity to experience God's grace. Do the right thing and show that person the respect and dignity they deserve. In so doing, you will open yourself to the great gift of God's presence.

Thomas Merton's Wisdom of the Desert

Thomas Merton, that great Trappist monk, is an American treasure. Merton is a creative and wonderful writer, who wrote many important books on monasticism and spirituality. Today, I'd like to briefly discuss Merton's The Wisdom of the Desert (1960), one of Merton's shortest books, a collection really, and explain why the book is important from a Celtic perspective.

As I have discussed in other blog articles, Celtic Christianity derived part of its unique blend of spirituality from the Desert Fathers and Mothers, a group of monastics who had fled the "society" of Europe for the stern quietude of mid East. Men and women went there by the thousands. they must have been seen as unique centers of learning at the time. There were large monastic communities in Egypt, modern day Israel, and Arabia. These places offered an alternative to the popular Christianity of the day. Their stories circulated in the writings of Cassian and others and generated much interest. And herein demonstrates the breadth and adaptability of the Celtic view: blending the wisdom of the East with the Druidic vision on the home front as well. How difficult is that?

Merton's Wisdom of the Desert begins with a wonderful essay which sets the writings of the Desert Fathers in context. There Father Merton shares with us, that the Desert writers have always been one of his favorite group of writers, and that what follows is a collection of  his favorite "sayings". I went through the book this morning (it's only 81 pages long) and selected some of my favorite "sayings". These Zen like quotes tell us something about the spiritual experience of the Fathers and their desire to live authentic spiritual lives. For me, this is feature is the magnet of the book, which keeps me coming back for more.

Here are a few:

VII
A brother asked one of the elders, How does far of the Lord get into a man? And the elder said; If a man have humility and poverty, and judge not another, that is how fear of the Lord gets into him.

XIII
A certain brother went to Abbot Moses in Scete, and asked him for a good word. And the elder said to him; Go, sit in your cell, and your cell will teach you everything.

XXV
Abbot Pastor said: The virtue of a monk is made manifest by temptations.

XXVIII
An Elder said: Just as a tree cannot bear frut if it is often transplanted, so neither can a monk bear fruit if he frequently changes his abode.

XCIV
Once some robbers came into the monastery and said to one of the elders; We have come to take away everything that is in your cell. And he said: My sons, take all you want. So they took everything they could find in the cell and started off. But they left behind a little bad that was hidden in the cell. The elder picked it up and followed after them, crying out: My sons, take this, you forgot it in the cell! Amazed at the patience of the elder, they brought everything back into his cell and did penance, saying: This one really is a man of God!

These "sayings" invite us to an inner-directed Christianity which I think is needed today. "Go sit in your cell, and your cell will teach you everything"! In other words, you already possess in you, all that you need. One just has to ruminate! And it is my experience, this is what drives folks to be part of monastic communities today. To be more "real".

I love these "sayings" and reading them often sets off other thoughts. Check saying XXVIII, on the principle of stablity. St. Benedict later made this the backbone of his religious order, and helped to transform Europe. And how about saying XCIV? Ever seen that one before? Reminds me of that great scene in  Hugo's Les Miserables when Bishop Myriel gives his silver candlesticks to Jean Valigean. Who knows, maybe Hugo got his idea for that scene from here.

If you want more about the Desert Fathers and Mothers, check out Benedicta Ward's The Desert Fathers (2003).

Carl McColman: Blogger, Author

Every few months, I like to take some time to pause, and devote a blog article to some of the major writers of Celtic Spirituality today. This morning I want to share an interview I conducted with Carl McColman, who is a well known blogger and writer on the Celtic tradition.

I was first introduced to Carl through his blog "Anamchara, The Website of Unknowing" which is linked here. "Anamchara" (which is Gaelic for "soulfriend") is one of my favorite blogs and has the robust task of covering the great mystical writers in the Celtic and Christian traditions. A tall order if there was ever one. The blog is a gem, and I can assure you that once you visit "Anamchara"  you will soon find yourself adding it to your favorite list, and stopping by several times a week as I do.

Carl is not just a blogger, but he is also a serious writer of spiritual topics and has something important to say. The mission of the blog is "to explore the spiritual life". Anamchara tackles many different issues related to Christian mysticism and to the emerging church. For example, you will find page after page dedicated to specific Celtic and Christian saints, with pithy and delicious quotes. Many a morning, I have sat with a cup of Hawaiian coffee in hand, music in the background, or better yet in silence, reading, reflecting and praying over some of the best that has been thought and said by the Christian mystics. You find yourself reading quotes and stories from mystics that are household names such as Evelyn Underhill, and learning about others you don't know such as Walter Hilton. Either way, you'll find yourself coming back for more of these mindwakers, again, again and again.

Carl has had an interesting spiritual journey, with some pretty unique credentials. His own path has taken him through a variety of spiritualities and along the way Carl has written books on Wicca, Druidism, Paganism, and most recently on Christian Mysticism. I've read two of those books, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Paganism (2002), and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Celtic Wisdom (2003) and found both to be great introductions to difficult subjects. Carl is imminently qualified and "experienced" to be writing on these issues. Along the way, Carl was a leader of a druid grove. Now, Carl works in a bookstore in a Cistercian monastery where he is a "monastic associate". How cool is that!

As a fellow blogger, I had to ask Carl about his blogging habits. He responded, "I try to live a regular life. I work, I have a family. I spend time in silence and contemplation. I like to write best in the morning. And when I haven't been able to write or blog, like today, I feel the same way as when I haven't showered or brushed my teeth". Not sure I'm at that point yet, but I know exactly what he means.

Our discussion then turned to the Celtic tradition and why it is so popular today. Carl noted "The Celtic or Insular tradition has many things to offer today. It's use of language, the storytelling tradition, devotion to the natural world, beauty...and by beauty I mean art...the high crosses at the monasteries, the Books of Kells, the Ardagh Chalice. It was a great flowering of both saints and culture. Some have tried to construct Celtic spirituality into something romantic and something it never was. Like all spiritual traditions, the Insural traditon was a mixture of light and shadow...even so, a wonderful tradition". Favorite Celtic saints include Kevin, Brigit, and George MacLeod, the founder of the Iona Community. A side bar was a discussion of what Celtic Christianity looks like in the world today. Carl spoke of the inner city work in Glasgow that the Iona Community is doing.

Part of Carl's personal call, is to help spread the message that Christian mysticism is for everyone. He remarked, "I call myself an aspiring mystic, and live as a Christian who tries to conduct my life by following the mystical path. Many Christians aren't familiar with the Christian mystical tradition or think it's reserved for the few, like the Marines. Part of my work is to bring more people into the conversation". And reading Carl's blog and books will do just that. You will find yourself gently brought in and welcomed as guests in true Celtic fashion.

Carl's most recent book, just hitting bookstores now, is The Big Book of Christian Mysticism (2010). I've provided the link to  Amazon here so you can check it out and hopefully purchase it. The Big Book took three years to write and I can tell you that it will be the best $15 you will spend this year. If you don't know anything about the long Christian mystical tradition, the book will provide you with an wonderful and inspiring introduction. It may change your world as well as your Christian experience. Carl rightly calls, Christian mysticism "the best kept secret of the Christian Church" and who better to tell that story than one who has been living and writing about it, both in blog and book, for nearly a decade.