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.

Celtic Fire

"In every church and monastery of Celtic Britain and Ireland a fire was kept burning, day and night, summer and winter, as a sign of God's presence...While the rest of Europe was entering a dark age of conflict and division, after the fall of the Roman Empire, the Christian gospel was lighting the hearts of the rugged Celtic tribesman, and thousands upon thousands of simple men and women became monks and missionaries, poets and pilgrims, ablaze with the love of Christ" (1-2).


Celtic Fire is a wonderful book, and a fine introduction to Celtic Christianity. The book contains a selection of writings from ancient Britain and Ireland and is skillfully presented by the Revd. Robert Van De Weyer, an Anglican priest who has written often on Celtic themes.

Celtic Fire begins with a sparkling 25 page essay providing readers with an overview of some of the uniqueness features of Celtic Christianity including the Druids, Desert Fathers, and the theology of Pelagius. The bulk of the book contains an anthology which highlights many of the famous people and literature in Celtic Christianity. For example, there are hagiographical sections which include the Confession of Patrick, the voyage of St. Brendan, Aidan, Hilda, and others. The "highlites" of their lives are presented and are well worth reading.

Another section contains some the better known prayers generated the Celtic saints. It's evening now as I write and let me recite a prayer entitled "Covering the Fire":

Lord, preserve the fire, as Christ preseves us all. Lord, may its warmth reamin in our midst, as Christ is always among us. Lord, may it rise to life in the morning, as we shall rise with Christ to eternal life." (147).

I love these kind of prayers and it reminds of just how tied to Nature and the Seasons of Life the Celts were. We moderns seem to have lost these  kinds of attachments.

One of the most interesting sections in Celtic Fire is the latter part of the book which shares some unique Celtic literary devices. A popular Welsh literary form was the "gnome" a maxim which was preceded by an unrelated image. Reading them, I am reminded of Zen "koans". Let me share a few:

"Red is the cock's comb, and loud his voice. God praises man when man praises God".

"Delightful are the tops of gorse bushes, their blossom reflects the brightness of the sun. None can know the truth except God".

The Irish also had some unique literary devices. A "triad", or mnemonic, was used to express moral and spiritual truths. I find these to be very clever and witty and its easy to picture monks dreaming up these pithy sayings.

"Three sources of new life: a woman's belly, a hen's egg, a wrong forgiven".

"Three people whose ears are closed: a king bent on conquest, a merchent bent on profit, a monk who thinks himself holy".  

"Three things that unlock the secrets of the soul: heavy drinking, violent anger, innocent trust".

I hope this wets your appetite for more. Celtic Fire reminds us that the divine spirit is living everywhere, and in every living creature, and in the world around us. And like olden times, the lives of the Celtic saints can be a light of brightness for us again.

The iPAD has made me a smarter person

I recently went out and bought an iPAD. Yes, I decided to jump in and experience an Apple product. Through the years, I've sat on the sidelines and watched people rave about the Mac, iPhone, iPod, and iTunes. Not so now!

Let me tell you, I've been amazed what you can do with tis thing! First, the iPAD is the coolest looking gadget you've ever seen. A small square of glossy glass and metal. What's more, it's handy and you can easily carry it around on travel to the gym, hotel Starbucks or Jamba Juice. Much nicer than the laptop. I'm still in the learning phase with the iPAD but really appreciate how savvy this item is. Christian readers will find scores of lectures on Christian theology and spirituality which one can download and watch for freet. For example, there are also many important lectures by New Testament scholars N.T. Wright, and others. There are also many other free applications which provides access to books and literature.

I'm starting the hunt for some Celtic "stuff" and will keep you posted. In the meantime, I am enjoying my slow conversion to Macintosh.

Jerry Coffee and the practice of awareness

Almost two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to hear CPT Jerry Coffee speak at a dinner event I was attending. CPT Coffee is a well-known and respected veteran who spent over seven years as a prisoner of war in the Hanoi Hilton, largely restricted to a 3x6 foot room. He is a marvelous speaker and person, with a remarkable story.  Let me share some of the key features of his talk.

After being shot down in Vietnam, he was captured, forced to walk for twelve days, and then taken to the famous Hanoi Hilton prison. I visited the Hanoi Hilton back in 1997 and I can tell you that its a heavy, dank place, made of thick concrete. Hard to imagine what it would be like to stay there for seven, long years. It's a museum now, with wax figures lying on wooden racks and terrible lighting. 

CPT Coffee noted that a turning point came for him when he realized that he was going to be a POW for a while. He mistakenly thought he would be released early on, but after several years he realized this was not going to happen. A turning point came when he moved from a perspective of "Why me?" to "What can I learn from being here?". He found a purpose in these events and tried to use them to make his life more productive. As his perspective changed, Coffee noted how each moment and day had valuable lessons to teach. He remarked there were many nights he went to bed feeling he had not done everything he wanted to do.

Another high point of Coffee's speech centered around how the prisoners developed an alphabetic code and began communicating to each others by tapping on walls. Many nights, the most comforting words a prisoner received by "GB" or "God Bless".

I found a clip on Youtube of CPT Coffee story and which is linked here.  I hope you enjoy it.

My Easter Story

Easter is always a great day in the life of the church. Lots of activity, energy and preperation. Great music, wonderful liturgy, and I hope a good sermon. Well, that's for others to decide.

Yesterday-Easter-was special to me in another way. And it was what happened to me AFTER the church service that made yesterday-Easter-so very unique and unlike any other. I was cleaning up the church after the service when a young thirty something homeless man came into the sanctuary. He walked upto me and as he began speaking, his eyes welled up with tears. He told me had been carrying his grandmother's ashes with him for some time-over a year I think, and wanted to know if I could bless them and have a small service for her. After saying "Of course" he disappeared and returned with a small baggie of ashes which he placed on the table we were using. I selected some sections from the Book of Common Prayer and as the service concluded, the man broke down again but now  mentioned that he felt he could "move on".

I thought about that event several times today. That experience, that image, reminded me of the importance of a ministry of "presence" and "service" in people's lives. Just "being there" and available to others-even the stranger- can result in an incredible spiritual experience. I don't know if I'll ever see this person again (I can't even remember his name) but I'll remember that experience forever. As I left the church and went over to our homeless feeding, I noted about two hundred people were in line, and eating picnic style. Many of them thanked me for the food and wished me a happy Easter. Little did they know how gifted and graced I felt to be in their presence.

Glory to God, Christ is Risen.

Dara Malloy and The Globalisation of God

"What the Celtic monastic paradigm establishes beyond doubt is that this form of spiritual community can achieve not only personal transformation but the transformation of human society. Personal and social transformation can take place without war or violence, without an imperialist or colonial agenda and without any top-down imposition of ideas. Celtic Spirituality offers the possibility of avoiding dogmatism, fundamentalism and all other temptations to control or change the behaviour of others from the outside. It emphasises change in oneself and invites an heroic commitment to one's own transformation" pg. 185.




My first encounter with Dara Molloy took place when I googled "Celtic Priest" one day. Up popped Dara's name and website (which is linked  here) and I decided to take a peek.  As I read about Dara, I was fascinated to learn that Dara lives on a small, remote island off the coast of Ireland, Inis Mor. I've been to similar islands in Scotland in the past, Jura and Islay to name a few, and believe me they are tough, rugged places, and not for the weak of heart. Almost like living on Skellig Michael! And yet what else would one expect from a modern day Celtic priest? Living apart, on the edges of the culture, just like the Celts of old. This raised my curiosity level a few more degrees. And as I read more about Dara, his interesting spiritual journey, his distinct take on the world, I realized this was a person I wanted to learn something more about. We spoke on Skype several times and therefore, I was delighted when my copy of The Globalisation of of God (2009) finally arrived in my mailbox. 

The Gobalisation of God  (GOG) is an interesting as Dara Molloy the person. GOG is a fascinating blend of  history, theology, spirituality and cultural and social analysis. A clue to the main argument of GOG is contained in the cover image. There, a parasitic cuckoo chick kicks out the indigenous egg from  the nest. So too, GOG goes onto convincingly demonstrate that Roman Catholicism "kicked out" and destroyed the "local" expression of Christianity in Ireland. This was a tragedy because the ecclesiatical colonisation of Ireland destroyed a vital and distinctive brand of Christianity.

This book is an entertaining read, with many unexpected twists and turns. Personally, I found the sections on Celtic Christianity and the Celtic Church to be the real strengths of the book. Obviously Dara knows the history well, and he writes with great poise. For example, Molloy outlines in a fresh and convincing way, how the Celtic Church thrived for nearly 800 years on its own, in splendid isolation, without any outside interference from Rome. There are terrific sections on the hermits of Egypt, St. Patrick, St. Columba, St. Columbanus and others. There is also a super chapter on Pelagius, detailing his intellectual brawls with Augustine. Yet,  as I hinted at in the opening quote above, the real brilliance of GOG is the way Molloy holds up the model of the Celtic Church. In so doing, Molloy provides a way forward for faith communities. The kernal of that message is to "go local", to build a spirituality from the ground up, from the community around you, and the relationships you share. Other key principles include simplicity and respecting diversity; believing that life is sacred; staying close to the natural environment; emphasizing simplicty.

GOG will challenge you, and I think Dara is onto something significant here. Although I don't agree with everything theologically that Molloy says, (what Celt would?) GOG got me thinking more about a bottom-up approach to spirituality. Dare I say an earth based AND people based spirituality. It made me question my relationships with people around me, and what I am doing to be connected with what is going on "locally". We've discussed before how one of the worst features of Western Christianity is that its too often individualistic and brain centered. Here's another example where the Celtic Church of the past can be a model for the present. The focus on relationships with people, communities, and the earth  help to keep the faith relevant, issue based, rooted in people, and something more than just some intellectual formula.

GOG reminds us of just how great spirituality can be. We have a phrase here in Hawaii, which is "local style" and describes the way folks do things differently than others.  This is another way of saying we need not do things in a cookie-cutter fashion like Wall Mart or Home Depot. Local customs, traditions, and styles should be celebrated-even in church. Else such structures are no different than McDonalds or some other franchise.

This book is a must for all Celtic lovers, and especially those who are interested in Celtic Christianity. You can order The Globalisation of God from Dara's website or Amazon.

Spartacus: Blood and Sand

My wife and I recently finished watching the first season of Spartacus: Blood and Sand. We were longing for more "historical" entertainment after having watched HBO's brilliant production Rome. I did some snooping around at the local store and stumbled upon Spartacus: Blood and Sand, which just completed it's first year. And what a lucky find this was! Spartacus has everything that Rome has to offer; story, deceit, love, lust, deception, as well as fantastic fighting scenes. If you liked Gladiator, you will love Spartacus. The first year had me on the edge of my seat-bed actually. We can't wait for year two, three, and hopefully more.

What I love is that Spartacus  takes the perspective from the gladiator's point of view. This is a story rarely heard, even if only fictionally. This is the story of slaves, who were trained to fight and kill to provide entertainment for their masters, the Romans. And remarkably, we meet men and woman who still hold to love, and ideals in a world in which they have little say or power.

One of the most attractive characters in the series, is the Celt Crixus, which in Gaelic means  "one with curly hair". Crixus is a magnificent character, a powerful and proud Celtic warrior. I pause to mention Crixus, because he is such a wonderful and memorable Celt; impulsive, hot headed, and one hell of a fighter in the ring. Before Spartacus arrives on the scene, Crixus is top dog. Rivals at first, Spartacus and Crixus warm to one another, and this is how the first year concludes. Historically the real Spartacus and Crixus would lead a rebellion of slaves against the Romans, so I imagine this is what we will encounter in future episodes.

A feature of good drama is that it can make you feel you are part of the story, lifting you from the present and placing you in either past or future. Spartacus: Blood and Sand  does just that and along the way you will meet Crixus, Spartacus and many others. It is a journey well taken.