I don’t blame you if you never heard of Hildegard of Bingen. She wasn’t mentioned when I was in seminary.  Hildegard (1098-1179)  was a German Benedictine abbess writer, composer, philosopher, mystic, visionary, and a medical writer and practitioner. I’m ashamed at how little I’ve accomplished compared to her.

From the time she was a young girl she had visions. At the age of 42 she had a vision in which God instructed her to “write down that which you see and hear.” The result was her first theological book Scivias (from Latin Sci vias Domini—”Know the Ways of the Lord”). Her technique in writing about visions was to describe what she saw and then give words of explanation that she believed came from God.

Here she writes about humility: “For humility caused the Son of God to be born of the Virgin, in whom was found humility, not eager embraces or beauty of flesh or earthly riches or gold ornaments or earthly honors. But the Son of God lay in a manger, because His Mother was a poor maiden. Humility always groans, weeps and destroys all offenses, for this is its work.”

She was also a prolific composer. There are more surviving chants by Hildegard than by any other composer from the entire Middle Ages. Here’s a sample of “The Holy Spirit” sung by St. Stanislav Girls’ Choir in Slovenia.

I hope you find inspiration in this amazing woman, but don’t be overwhelmed by how much she did. Just use the gifts and opportunities God gave you.

Read Romans 12:6-8 and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Wayne