I saw three aircraft flying in tandem and took a photo
But the birds intervened and said: why do you forget us?
During my visit to Nijmegen last Friday I participated with Huub Welzen, one of the veterans in the field of Biblical Spirituality, in a small conference on Biblical Spirituality. It was a special experience to discuss the field with colleagues who have been involved in it for some time now.
During our discussions it struck me how relatively undeveloped the discipline is, even though it is clearly an important new field of study.
I shared my experiences with our Master’s course in Biblical Spirituality at my university with the group in Nijmegen. For this, I had to evaluate the course which was presented over the last two years and which is presently being brought to conclusion. It was a special experience for me to think about this course and to share my reflection. I realized even more than before how much the two year course meant to me personally and academically. It was indeed a time of growth. We were privileged to have had a group of gifted students whose participation in the course provided a valuable input.
I learnt a lot from sharing my evaluation with the group in Nijmegen: their comments and the discussion helped me to gain more clarity and gave me some new ideas to reflect on.
But my visit brought me another, unexpected surprise. Jos Huls and Hein Blommestijn gave me the 2006 book, “Nuchtere Mystiek” (Sober / Realistic Mysticism) with contributions by Kees Waaijman and his colleagues. The book is a result of the 25th study week of the Titus Brandsma Institute. I have begun reading it and was pleasantly surprised and excited by its contents. It is an informative publication at the hand of which I wish to reflect a bit more about mysticism and Thomas – something which kept me quite busy the last couple of months.
Recently, during my reading of Thomas a Kempis’ Imitiation of Christ I often wondered whether one could regard him as a mystic. He writes practically and concretely about discipleship, about the imitation fo Christ. One could without doubt regard him as a spirituality author, writing about the relationship of God and humanity which is transformative for the whole of one’s life. But is he really a mystic, someone who reflects about the unio mystica? Is he reallty amidst all the wisdom someone who writes about the union with God?
Previously I did not think so. I was misled by the overwhelmingly concrete character and practical wisdom which is prominent in the book.
But according to this book of Waaijman and others, Thomas is a mystic in a consistent manner. In each of the four parts of his Imitation he reveals that the life of discipleship is about something much deeper. He is profoundly interested in the mystical union with God. Here is one argument they offer:
It is true that the first of the four books focus on how the believer imitates Christ through an active seeking of transformation and devotion. But, comments Rudolf van Dijk (who translated the Imitation in contemporary Dutch) on page 47, this active input is given its deepest meaning when it happens, according to Thomas, in response to God’s word. Thomas expresses this clearly very early in his first book (1.3.10-12).
I am immediately interested in this observation. So I consult Van Dijk’s translation of this passage. (Conveniently the Latin text is also given next to the translation).
It is, interestingly, a prayer, inserted quite unexpectedly in the midst of Thomas' reflection of the imitation.
With this prayer, the discussion in the first book is given a deeper dimension. The heading of the chapter is “On teaching the Truth” - quite impressive. But it is a prayer which celebrates the powerful transformation which take place when God speaks. Behind all our activities, spelled out in this section, I now understand Thomas to say, stands God’s life-giving touch.
Immediately a whole world opens before me and my question about Thomas’ mysticism is addressed: Here, at the very beginning of his book, Thomas suddenly switches from his meditative approach, his discussion of the imitation of Christ, to an orative stance (a moment in the hermeneutical process which is much neglected). Whilst he is still writing on "teaching the truth," out of the blue he begins to pray . Meditatio is followed, or, interrupted by oratio.
And, remembering that I have been writing on silence in the previous blogs, I am also struck by the role silence plays in this prayer: The prayer is as follows: “O truth, God, make me one with You in love which continues eternally.” The Latin “fac me unum” is clear: Make me one with You. This is all about the mystical yearning for God and the desire to be unified with God. And what is more, when one speaks about “truth,” it is not about knowledge or facts or wisdom. Thomas personifies truth: to speak about truth, is to talk about God; to teach truth is to be with God.
Here, in the midst of all the practical wisdom of Thomas, he is moved to pray – almost as if his thoughts are no longer under control. He addresses God directly. Truth is about wanting to be with God, but the desire for truth inevitably brings one to want to pray and speak directly with God. And the first thing he then expresses in prayer is the desire to be one with God. No-thing (!) like “make me a good disciple / follower of Christ.” Just: make me one with You.
Thomas is in effect saying: “Everything I do and live, is directed towards union with God.” But it is even more gripping to note what the end result of this unity is: Make me one with you in eternal love, love which continues without end (in caritate perpetua – beautiful the “caritate”). When one yearns for God, it is a desire to be with God in love (reminds me of Hadewych of Antwerp and her spirituality of love).
Then Thomas continues, with a little bit of humour: “Reading and listening to many things makes me weary.” He is busy with teaching the truth here and teaching has many wise people talking. This confession of weariness reveals another mystical dimension of the mystical experience: to the mystic all our human activities, our speaking and our talking, are nothing-ness. They need to disappear because they can stand in the way of our relationship with God. Reading (words!), listening (words!) are nothing but burdensome.
Then follows his deepest knowledge, spoken in the following part of the prayer: “In You is everything I will and desire” (volo et desidero). To be with God and God is what really matters, is the deepest desire of his heart.
This is so important that Thomas repeats it. He does this by explicitly mentioning silence: “let all the wise teachers be silent. Let all creatures say nothing before Your countenance. You alone must speak to me.” Silence is the right attitude before God. We do not speak about all our activities, our piety, our imitation of Christ. We are focussed away from ourselves.
It is God’s Word which creates discipleship, which brings one to love. It is when we fall silent, when we say nothing more, that we shall be able to hear God’s words of life. Our own chattering and talking are useless and burdensome.
Only in God’s presence we shall find the words of life (Samaria, the woman, the fountain!) – and we also know, when God speaks, universes are created (Genesis – the beginning).
One easily reads over the prayer. And yet, it gives a completely different perspective on the Imitation.
Interpreters often say the most important parts of a text, those parts which give meaning to a text, are the parts that are unique.
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