God of Justice and Virtue

As we walk with Hildegard of Bingen in the last weeks of Pentecost this year, we discover that she sees God within all of creation. “The blowing wind, the mild, moist air, the exquisite greening…in their beginning, in their ending, they give God their praise” (From Hildegard of Bingen by Gabriele Uhlein)

God is our lover and we are beloved of God, and so is everyone else. Because we are all part of one another, we need to be filled with God’s justice and virtue. We must be “thirsting for God’s justice…[and we] will be forever refreshed by the vision of God…surrender to it, taste virtue, and drink…be strengthened by it,” as Hildegard states.*

The prophet Amos spoke about justice many centuries before Hildegard. Like her, he used water as a metaphor for the work of justice. He said that we should “let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream”. (Amos 5:24) The life-giving flowing water of God’s justice can wash away injustice when we allow it to work.

Stop to ponder whether you have ever thirsted for justice and virtue. When was that?

What exactly does Hildegard mean by justice and virtue?

For Hildegard, living as she did, in the midst of turmoil of church and state, justice involved making holy that which was not right. For her, wisdom “pours into…the human spirit the justice of true faith through which God alone is known.” Because, as we saw last time, spirituality and humanity are both communal, the balance of contemplation and work is needed. Our inter-relatedness means that we see not just the good, but also the evil of the world as being transformable by God. We sink into God in contemplation and prayer which inspires and empowers us to work for change.

Stop and consider the words of St. Basil the Great in the 4^th Century below. Are there changes you might make in your lifestyle to bring the equality of justice?

The bread which you do not use-is the bread of the hungry.
The garment hanging in your wardrobe-is the garment of one who is naked.
The shoes that you do not wear-Are the shoes of one who is barefoot.
The money you keep locked away-is the money of the poor.
The acts of charity you do not perform-are so many injustices that you commit.

Virtue, for Hildegard, was the fruit of justice. She noted, “those of us who do good are like an orchard filled with the fruit of good works….”* In Scivias she stated, “the brightness of God shines in the good works of just people, so that God can be known, adored, and worshiped…by doing good works with the help of god, people worship god with their countless and wonderful actions.”

It is true that sometimes events happen that make it difficult to see our connection with some other human spirits. School shootings and other senseless gun violence, such as the recent road rage incident resulting in the death of a 4 year old, make us ask God 'why?' and 'how can this be transformed into good?' It is often very hard, in these cases, to remember (or believe) that God loves the victim and the perpetrator just as much. What we, perhaps, need to do is work toward a world where such things do not happen. Maybe that is how we bring about virtue and justice...

Stop and ask yourself if you agree with Hildegard’s definition of ‘virtue’. How would you define it?

Jesus warned his disciples about false prophets, saying “You will be able to tell them by their fruits…a good tree produces good fruit…” (Matthew 7:15-20) It is easy to get caught up in the advertising and the need to have the ‘newest and best’. For me, that can distract me from walking in the way of justice and virtue that Hildegard describes.

Hildegard drew many images, often in the form of mandalas. This simple one seems to encapsulate the simplicity of bearing fruit in all seasons. The seasons of nature mirror the seasons of our lives. God is in the center of all, and when we are rooted in God, we ‘bear fruit in due season’. The fruit of justice and virtue.

*Praying with Hildegard of Bingen by Gloria Durka