Yesterday we were invited to remember Hildegard of Bingen...For my congregation at the BCP Eucharist, remembering wasn't really an option as I'm pretty certain that none of them had ever encountered her before. Not to worry.
We read the blurb from Exciting Holiness and I talked a little about the readings, with their emphasis on the life of the Spirit, - and the link between "ghost" and gast/geist = breath...
Then we had some lovely (and unusual) silence and it was good. VERY good.
I came away thinking of Hildegard's famous image of herself
Listen: there was once a king sitting on his throne. Around him stood great and wonderfully beautiful columns ornamented with ivory, bearing the banners of the king with great honour. Then it pleased the king to raise a small feather from the ground and he commanded it to fly. The feather flew, not because of anything in itself but because the air bore it along. Thus am I
...A Feather on the Breath of God.
As I lose whatever tenuous control I ever had on my timetable (shall I tell you what this weekend looks like? no, better not - you'll only tell me off, and quite right too) I'm pondering how it would be to be so entirely relaxed in God's presence, and so conscious of God's strength that I could just let go and be carried, floating on God's breath.
I'm also realising that retreat time is called for.
Soon.
I tried to post a comment a few days ago, but it seems to have got lost in the ether.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your reflections here. Your quote from Hildegard of Bingen reminds me of the strong yet gentle breath of Aslan blowing Eustace and Jill into Narnia in The Silver Chair. Perhaps C.S. Lewis was inspired by Hildegard?
Such a wonderful vision of God's all encompassing goodness, provision and ability to uphold us if only we let Him. Something I'm not very good at I fear.
Hope you get your retreat time and are able to float on God's uplifting breath soon.
Rachel