Visio Divina
(Godly Gazing)
(Spiritual
Seeing)
Introduction
to Visio Divina
Grace and Peace to you!
This is a new
Spiritual Discipline ( a tool to encourage deeper intimacy and relationship
with Christ), that is offered to you in
hopes of helping you see and perceive, learn and listen to what God would say
to you through Images: paintings, Icons, sculpture, or any other visual
expression – including the Natural Creation around you.
“The beauty
of… images moves me to contemplation, as a meadow
delights the
eyes and subtly infuses the soul with the glory of God.”
- St. John Damascene
You may be
familiar with another spiritual practice called Lectio Divina, (Divine or Spiritual Reading), a process to build
your relationship and intimacy with Christ, from the written word of Holy
Scripture. Visio Divina is similar,
but is on a Visual basis.
Contemporary believers can be encouraged
in their prayer life and relationship with Christ by considering God based
artworks that attempt to express the mystery of Faith, and the love,
faithfulness, and character of God. The
Old Testament is filled with images…
places, practices and art that is meant to trigger opportunities to tell
and retell the story of the love and faithfulness of God.
Seeing and Perceiving
“In a way, nobody sees a
flower really, it is so small, we haven’t time
-- and to see takes time, like to have a
friend takes time.”
-
Georgia O’Keeffe
One of the main
aspects to Visio Divina, is learning
to really “See”, to perceive,…to see the Images of the Hand of God everywhere
around us.
True
art is knowing how to see
-
Leonardo da Vinci
Eyes that look are common; eyes that see are
rare.
- J. Oswald Sanders
Images – images
made by artists – are not usually made willy-nilly, and are usually made with a
fair amount of consideration, and also, they take a fair amount of time. Real Art – (that which is not meant to be
consumed and then thrown away, such as decorator art and advertising images )
will have more to see and perceive upon repeated viewings, it’s even possible
to “see” new things after tens of viewings.
“ One thing I ask of the LORD,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. “ Psalm 27:4
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. “ Psalm 27:4
Visio
Divina is meant to nourish our visual souls. We have such a rich historical library of
religious paintings, Icons, sculptures, as well as many contemporary works -
both Biblically and secularly based, that can be used by God to show us His
ways. The importance is in selecting
the right image --- let the Holy Spirit help guide your decision in this. Many of the fine illustrated books of the
Life of Christ are a good place to start - you may already have at least one of
these popular books in your library.
A Note about Icons
In some circles, Icons come down
to us with negative connotations. But we
need have no fear or disdain for them, and can even find much to learn through
them. While some practices surrounding
Icons may leave a bad taste in the mouth of a Protestant, if you find yourself
attracted to an Icon’s story, or it’s subject, feel free to listen to it. Traditionally, Icons are considered as “Windows into Heaven”. If you come to think of them in this way, you
may have more success finding ways to appreciate them. And for beginners, 19th century
Russian Icons may be a good place to start.
As far as Images, really as far as Art is concerned, you’ll be hard
pressed to find more sacred care taken to produce these exquisite works of Art,
and this makes them well worth considering, and trying to get beyond our
religious predisposition against them.
And from our Catholic and Orthodox Christian family members, we have
much that we can learn from them, without necessarily completely agreeing with
them on this subject.
"through
the contemplation of icons, inserted in the whole of liturgical and ecclesial
life, the Christian community is called to grow in its experience of God,
becoming more and more a living icon of
communion of life among the three divine Persons."
- Pope John Paul II
As
a visual Artist, and also a Pastor to Artists, the visual side of life is
sort of my specialty. I have been
learning from God how to employ my entire being in the pursuit of intimacy
with Him; the Five Senses, the two
sides of my brain, my Heart, Mind, Soul and Strength. A Bible Study often uses only one side of
the brain, Visio Divina is specifically designed to
compliment a study experience of Holy Scripture by exercising a different
side of the brain, as well as different ways of thinking, doing,
experiencing, perceiving, and ultimately, listening to His Spirit in our
lives.
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© Paul Kiler – Art as Servant 2000