Soul Training

9. Response. Ask yourself and God, What am I being called to do as a result of the word I have been given? Perhaps you are feeling challenged to love God more, or to accept some aspect of who you are, or to serve someone you know, or to begin changing some aspect of your character. Whatever it is, write it out. “Today God is calling me to be a more patient person. Be with me God, and teach me how.” Thank God for the word and the calling you have been given.

*Read the following section only after you have completed the exercise.

Lectio divina is a very personal activity, so I cannot predict exactly what you will experience, nor should I. I imagine God had a specific word just for you. However, the passage I have chosen for you deals specifically with love. First Corinthians 13:4-8 is well known because it is read at many weddings. The context of the passage is not about the love between a husband and a wife (though that fits!), but rather Paul is writing about how to live together in Christian community. The central point is that love is at the core of our life together. Elsewhere we read that we ought to love one another as God has loved us (1 John 4:11).

We also read that “God is love” (1 John 4:8). As with the Herbert poem, it is possible to insert God for the word love in the passage from 1 Corinthians.

God is patient, God is kind. God does not envy, God does not boast, God is not proud. God is not rude, God is not self-seeking, God is not easily angered, God keeps no record of wrongs. God does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. God always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. God never fails.

You might enjoy reading over this passage a few times this week. I have said in this chapter that God is love, but often we don’t know what that means. This passage explains what true love is.

If the subject of God’s unconditional love is something you have wrestled with, you may also want to go back to the Herbert poem and reflect some more on it. Read it over slowly and reflect on some of the images Herbert offers (for example, “quick-ey’d love”) and try to picture them with your mind’s eye.

Whether you are going through this material alone or with others, the following questions might be helpful as you reflect on your experience. Either way, it might be a good idea to answer these questions in your journal. If you are meeting with a group, bring your journal with you to help you remember your insights as you share your experiences.

1. Were you able to do the lectio divina exercise? If so, describe how it went and how you felt about it.

2. What, if anything, did you learn about God or yourself through the exercise?

3. What was your favorite line in the poem “Love (III)”? Explain why.