Lectio Divina
The Scripture meditation
Scripture meditation has a long tradition in the Church and was systematized in particular with the Lectio Divina in the Benedictine order and subdivided into Lectio, Meditatio, Oratio and Contemplatio, ie reading, meditation, prayer and contemplation. All four practices can be distinguished from one another, but they also flow into one another.
The word meditation is derived from the Latin word "meditari", which means something like "to think" or "to reflect on something". This reflection on a text goes beyond purely analytical reflection. Rather, it means to put yourself in the place of the text with all your senses and to let the most diverse views and perceptions affect you. The term meditation is defined differently and is sometimes equated with contemplation. In Christian practice, meditation has the character of meditating on something or thinking about something and reflecting on it, while contemplation is a calming down of thoughts. In the highest sense, contemplation is becoming one with God himself. The ancients said that one can only practice lectio, meditatio and oratio and that contemplatio is a gift.
Sensing and changing perspective in the acting people
Reinhard Deichgräber, Evangelical Church, describes the following 4 steps of text meditation, which essentially include getting into the action and making various changes of perspective.
1. Meditating on a biblical text begins by reading it aloud. You can feel your way into every sentence and every word and what it triggers in you.
2. In the second step we feel ourselves into the text with all our senses, ie sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell. Every detail is imagined visually or sensually, including the smells, etc. and lets this affect you.
3. In the third step, you identify yourself with every person acting and try to put yourself in their thoughts, feelings and motives, including those of Jesus. This is done like "I am ...".
4. In the fourth step one tries to find out the essential message and then to come to rest in it. This means the reason why this story was told and what the action ultimately leads to. There may be a concise sentence about this in the story. This core message can be repeated several times like a mantra and ultimately comes to rest in it, which represents the transition to contemplation.
Anselm Grün, Benedictine order, writes the following concise words about the Lectio Divina:
"The Lectio Divina goes like this: I read the scriptures until the word touches me, pause, let it fall into my heart, pray, read on until I have the feeling that the words have led me into a deep silence. Then I leave the words and just be silent before God, the words have led me into silence."
The ancients have pictures for lectio devina. They say: lectio breaks the alabaster vessel of God apart, meditatio smells it, feels the fragrance, oratio expresses longing and contemplatio then enjoys it.
Evagrius Ponticus once said: "Whoever fights for a method fights in vain". That is why the early monks developed ways of meditation and contemplation, in which it is not the method that heals, but always the healing God, who meets us through the word of the Scriptures. "
Working out the symbols used and changing perspectives on the microcosm, the macrocosm, the soul and the spiritual path
Biblical narratives usually contain messages on other levels that are not immediately apparent on a cursory reading. The external meanings are intended for the general public; the apostle Paul also called them children. Faith content is transported here, which helps to pick up and advance believers at a beginner level. The advanced teachings are intended for the brethren and perfect. This is what Paul meant by not throwing pearls at pigs, and it explains why Jesus went to a house with his disciples to explain his parables.
The symbolic interpretation is not allowedt overdo it. The Gnostics in early Christianity sometimes went too far here and sometimes rightly came under criticism. It is important to find out the author's intention without interpreting too much into it. A change of perspective results from the allegorical interpretation of the Bible. For example, the life of Jesus Christ is an example of one's own spiritual development. Each stage in Jesus' life is a further step towards the goal of spiritual development. A surprising example of this is the parable of the good Samaritan. Anyone who is familiar with the conditions in the Holy Land knows that one has to travel through Samaria to get from Galilee to Jerusalem. Jerusalem stands for heavenly wisdom and the Samaritan for mercy. So if you want to get to wisdom, you have to develop mercy within yourself.
If in a parable a father is part of the story, for example in the parable of the prodigal son, then this normally means God. God can be viewed as the creator of the world or an inner authority in man, quasi the highest potential in man. Paul also speaks of "Jesus in us". So God can act on the level of the macrocosm or the microcosm and in the inner soul.
