This week, Ericka Graham points us to the wisdom and teachings of an ancient mystic, Hildegard of Bingen (also known as Saint Hildegard). Through Hildegard’s “visions” that require an “embodied posture” towards spirituality, Ericka uses the story of “The Good Samaritan” to remind us that we too, are called to worship our God with our entire body, and care for the entire bodies of others too—even if it means finding good in our “enemies.”
Live Teaching Podcast
Scripture & Quotations
“The soul, by reaching an agreement with the body, flies up into the heavens like a bird in the air. Just as a bird cannot fly without atmosphere, our body, too, is kept in motion by the soul and not by itself…”
— Hildegard of Bingen
Psalm 34:8
Taste and see that the Lord is Good.
Luke 10:25-37
25 Just then a scholar of the Hebrew Scriptures tried to trap Jesus.
Scholar: Teacher, what must I do to experience the eternal life?
Jesus (answering with a question): 26 What is written in the Hebrew Scriptures? How do you interpret their answer to your question?
Scholar: 27 You shall love—“love the Eternal One your God with everything you have: all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind” — and “love your neighbor as yourself.”
Jesus: 28 Perfect. Your answer is correct. Follow these commands and you will live.
29 The scholar was frustrated by this response because he was hoping to make himself appear smarter than Jesus.
Scholar: Ah, but who is my neighbor?
Jesus: 30 This fellow was traveling down from Jerusalem to Jericho when some robbers mugged him. They took his clothes, beat him to a pulp, and left him naked and bleeding and in critical condition.
31 By chance, a priest was going down that same road, and when he saw the wounded man, he crossed over to the other side and passed by. 32 Then a Levite who was on his way to assist in the temple also came and saw the victim lying there, and he too kept his distance. 33 Then a despised Samaritan journeyed by. When he saw the fellow, he felt compassion for him.
34 The Samaritan went over to him, stopped the bleeding, applied some first aid, and put the poor fellow on his donkey. He brought the man to an inn and cared for him through the night.
35 The next day, the Samaritan took out some money—two days’ wages to be exact—and paid the innkeeper, saying, “Please take care of this fellow, and if this isn’t enough, I’ll repay you next time I pass through.”
36 Which of these three proved himself a neighbor to the man who had been mugged by the robbers?
Scholar: 37 The one who showed mercy to him.
Jesus: Well then, go and behave like that Samaritan.
1 Corinthians 12:12-13
Just as a body is one whole made up of many different parts, and all different parts comprise the one body, so it is with the Anointed One. We were all ceremonially washed through baptism together into one body by the one Spirit.
“The truth is, no one of us can be free until everybody is free.”
– Maya Angelou