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Why & How >
Reflections > What Scripture Means to Us What Scripture Means to UsA Reflection at the Celebration of the First Volume of The Saint John's Bible
These are some headlines from the NASA Website, all of them within the past year. Day by day Hubble and other telescopes take us further into space, into a world we can barely fathom. The vastness of space staggers our imaginations. Further and further out. Did Mars have an atmosphere at one time? If so, what comprised it? How did it meet its demise? What catastrophic events may have befallen this planet? Regardless of one’s personal stance towards the science, the pictures are breath taking. They show a universe that is rich, complex, tantalizing in its mystery. And there doesn’t seem to be any end to it it just keeps going, and going, and going. This is the journey outward. The spiritual journey inward, to the Spirit of God who is in each one of us, is as rich, as complex, and as tantalizing in its mystery. And there doesn’t seem to be any end to it it just keeps going, and going, and going. And for us as monastics, as well as for all Christians, that journey is everywhere nurtured, guided, and sustained by our encounter with scripture. In the monastic tradition we have a practice of reading scripture continuously, in small passages, slowly, giving ourselves time to savor the words; time to reflect and make connections with our lives; time to pray in whatever way that prayer emerges; and time to contemplate, to simply be in God’s presence. This may sound simple and easy, but the discipline of attending to this on a daily basis is a long and hard struggle for most of us. It is hard to slow down and make time in the face of pressing demands, to stay focused, to be persistent even the text seems to say nothing at all to me about my or our lives. Sometimes what we need is a way to jumpstart the imagination. The entire process and the outcome of the Saint John’s Bible represents one attempt to jumpstart the imagination by creating contemporary illuminations that open the text for us, but do so in a way that is not restrictive but open-ended. We have all had experiences of illuminations in the natural world where we had to stop what we were doing and simply look, and allow the full visual impact soak into our minds and imagination: the fiery disk of sun slipping behind the hills at dusk; cross country skiing through fresh snow, everything fresh, white, and utterly quiet; the gathering dark clouds of a thunderstorm and the intense stillness that occurs before things start breaking loose. These are natural illuminations that draw us into the beauty of the world we live in and into the mystery of God. The Gospel passage we just heard is an exquisite example of illumination. The two disciples are filled with questions and anxiety about what has happened to Jesus in Jerusalem. Even though they have met Jesus before, they do not recognize him now. To be sure Jesus is transformed but the text also says that their eyes prevented them from recognizing him. Even though they had heard the reports of the women, their imaginations were blocked Jesus was dead. The stranger draws them into conversation, into discussion and then explanation. Still their eyes are closed but they want more, they are drawn further. So when the stranger acts as if he is going to continue on his way, every hospitable bone in their bodies says to them, "stay with us, the day is almost gone." Something is happening but they can’t put their finger on it they want this stranger to stay. It is in the breaking of the bread that their eyes were opened! The frequent action of Jesus throughout his ministry has opened their imagination and suddenly they recognize him. This is the kind of journey that an illumination takes us on. It draws us into the meaning of the text, into the framework of the text, into the encounter with the Holy One. This is not by force, but by invitation. So often in our time the biblical text is just strange enough, or just enough context is missing, that the pathway into its religious and human significance is missed. What we are trying to achieve with the Saint John’s Bible is to provide visual points of entry into the text, into the transformative power of the words, into meaning and life that is available to us through these words. The illuminations transform the word into sacrament. These visual points of entry can take whole passages of scripture and refocus them for us. They can connect elements of different texts in new and creative ways. They can show us how our tradition is related to other religious traditions. By having our visual and religious imagination stimulated in this way, we may make a host of other crucial connections. The bible is a source of unity for Christian, Jewish, and Islamic people. We hold at least some of the bible in common. Saint John’s has long been committed to ecumenical dialogue and enhancing understanding between Christians and other religious traditions. Is it possible for the Bible to become a source of conversation and brainstorming on the meaning of biblical texts? Can we build understanding between peoples by focusing on religious meaning and hope? The creative process for this project is extremely exciting because it has engaged monastics, lay colleagues and students to reflect on the meaning of scripture. Is there a way we as a community of believers can take this process and extend it further, to enrich our own lives of faith and prayer? We hope that that this project, as it goes along, will engage the imagination of other artists, in all aspects of Christian life, and renew the commitment of Christian Churches to support and nourish the relationship between the living tradition of faith and the arts. For us at Saint John’s this is not an isolated project that comes out of nowhere. The Hill Monastic Microfilm Library, Arca Artium, the Kritzek and other special collections are likewise wonderful resources that provide a way for us as human communities to tap into the deepest roots of human culture and the search for God. We hope for a new synergy in all of these efforts that will serve as a source of insight, energy, and hope for those who come to share in these treasures in the future. Our deepest hope is for each one of us here, every one who encounters this Bible, that the scriptures will be opened to us, to them in a new, fresh, and vital way. "Did our hearts not burn within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures for us?" |
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By Abbot John Klassen, OSB