The Valley of Vision
Read time: 4 Minutes
Recently, I came across a book of prayers that come from the Pilgrims, that group of English Protestant reformers from the time of James the 1st of England. I knew little of the Pilgrims except that they rejected “the popery of Rome,” came to North America on the Mayflower, and celebrated the first Thanksgiving with the Native Americans they met. What surprised me most about the prayers in the book was the profound understanding these prayers showed of the paradoxical nature of God, faith, and the life of grace to which the baptized are all called.
The book title is, The Valley of Vision, edited by Arthur Bennett. The first prayer is addressed to, “Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly.” Try as we might we can not define God, the Father, nor can we truly know know who or what God might be. We can know Jesus because he lived, but even then, what does it mean to be fully God and fully man? Truly, he was, high and holy, meek and lowly. His life and teaching were, like himself, a paradox: unexpected, unconventional, counter-cultural, and often vaguely hostile to the religious authorities and practices of the day.
The one praying the first prayer asks to be taught by paradox:
“that the way down is the way up,
that to be low is to be high,
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to possess all,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
that to give is to receive,
that the valley is the place of vision.”
This is akin to Paschal Mystery here. I ought not be surprised. The Catholic Church has not cornered the market on paschal theology; However, I have rarely heard it expressed so beautifully or succinctly. I have found myself praying this prayer and meditating on each of the paradoxes mentioned. “How is the way down the way up, precisely?” I ask. “How is the broken heart the healed heart?”
This prayer is mystery and is leading me to consider so many aspects of the spiritual life in a new light. And it is only the first prayer in the book. There are many more. I am reminded that rarely can people, entities, circumstances, or events be categorized based merely on polarities such a “good or bad”,” true or false,” “left-wing or right-wing,” “worthwhile or pointless.” We do not live in a simple world.
Our faith tradition is so rich! Fr. Remi Hebert used to say that one “can not depend on what one learned about our faith as a child.” There is so much to learn, so much growth to experience, so much to ponder about our church, our faith, our role as the body of Christ. May the Lord, “high and holy, meek and lowly” guide and protect us on the journey. Amen.
Bennett, Arthur. (1975). The Valley of Vision. East Peoria, Il: Versa Press, Inc.