The Language of Jesus

 

As I noted a couple of weeks ago, Lorna and I are taking a course on Benedictive Spirituality offered by the Sisterhood of St. John the Divine.  One of the many aspects of the course which have caught my attention is the statement that the psalms were the ‘language of Jesus’.  This was quite a surprise for me and I followed up on this assertion questioning this with the following.

As I mentioned yesterday, I would appreciate a discussion of the Benedictine understanding (perhaps not unique to them) that the Psalms were the language of Jesus.  I am aware that the psalms were integral to worship in the synagogue in Jesus’ time but is there more to it than that.  My reaction to reading that is that the psalms often presented God as retributive and the psalmist often wanted God to do a lot of smiting of enemies - not what Jesus preached and lived.

My question was presented in a supplementary discussion period offered by the course leader, Sr. Constance Gefvert, which enabled me to flesh out my understanding of this.  I find it is helpful to engage in a discussion to more fully develop my thoughts on a subject (sometimes it is a discussion with only myself).  I came to the awareness that Jesus probably had a full and detailed familiarity of the psalms throughout his life.  He also had a full and in-depth familiarity with the people in his life and was fully aware of the complexity of the human condition as demonstrated in his relationship with all the Mary’s and the Martha’s; the Pharisees and the Sadducees; the rich and the poor; the outcasts and the tax collectors.  This was best demonstrated in his parables.  He seemed to know people better than they know themselves.  The psalms were and are a record of just that – an expression of all of human nature from praising God for all that God had done to blessed the psalmist, to a cry for help, a cry of anguish, and a cry of (sometimes) righteous anger.  

In the course of our discussion, Sr. Connie asked me to consider what Jungian psychology would make of the psalms.  I did just that and later when the opportunity arose, I responded that Jungian psychology was focussed on wholeness and not on perfection which is expressed so vividly in the psalms.  On further reflection I would add that we need to accept all of who God created us to be including the unacceptable parts.  Those parts which are unacceptable are demonstrated quite vividly in many of the psalms.  If we do not acknowledge them, they remain inaccessible in the unconscious part of ourselves.  They return when we are not looking like a thief in the night and can wreak havoc for others and us.  Jung talks about these unacceptable parts of ourselves as the Shadow.

The shadow is often one of the easier images to identify in a dream. We can also identify it at work when we take an instant, irrational dislike to someone,  It can be helpful to notice when you have a strong reaction to someone that seems to have not rational basis and explore what it is about the person that triggered that reaction.  When you have figured that our, look for that characteristic in yourself.

Blessings on your journey and know that God is with you and so is your Shadow.