3 Medieval Steps to Truth
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090 - 20 August 1153) is credited with reviving Benedictine monasticism, among any other things.
The Roman Catholic church canonised him 21 years after his death.
Saint Bernard is regarded to this day by many as Christian nobility.
He is held highly for his depth of reasoning. Bernard penned the surprising 3 Steps to Truth:
- we climb to the first step by the toil of humility. This introduces us to the severity of judging ourselves.
- to reach the second step a deep compassion is gained, judgement is lost and tenderness becomes alive.
- finally the ecstasy of contemplation is enjoyed, as a new man lives without striving for betterment or self-promotion.
These steps won't crumble.
Faith delivers us to remove the logs in our own eyes, compassion delivers us to not see the logs in another's eyes. Thus we have mercy on others.
The first two steps lead to the freedom of the third, contemplation. Saint Bernard then concludes that contemplation yields the purity of truth, sweeping us up to 'the sight' of things invisible.
His third step lifts the humble into spiritual realms, to the sight of things invisible.
SoulSupply would add, that the times of contemplation would always be best guided through God's Word alone on our laps, and before our eyes.
Medieval Christianity is deep, but we have the eternal benefit and inspiration of printed Bibles. The Word alone best steers our meditations towards pure truth. Pure truth is only found in Jesus the Christ. Do not be confused by the teaching of other scholars.
'I am the ONLY way, I am the ONLY truth, I am the ONLY life, no one comes to the Father but through Me.' (John 14:6 with 'ONLY' added by SoulSupply for emphasis.)
Today's Soul Snippet:
'The beginning of evil is heedlessness!' ~ Abba Poemen