Chords of God's Kindness

Recently I attended a presentation about St. Hildegard of Bingen, one of the four female Doctors of the Church, at Sophia Spirituality Center. As Sr. Judith Sutera noted, it was not unusual for an abbess in a German Benedictine monastery in the 1100s to compose music, study herbs, write theological and scientific books, have mystical visions, go on preaching tours, and be the administrator and spiritual leader of a monastery. What is unique about St. Hildegard is the quality and quantity of the work she produced, which still instructs and inspires us today.

This quotation by St. Hildegard caught my eye: “The marvels of God are not brought forth from one’s self. Rather, it is more like a chord, a sound that is played. The tone does not come out of the chord itself, but rather through the touch of the Musician. I am, of course, the lyre and harp of God’s kindness.”

It is humbling to think that whenever we feel the impulse to be kind—for example, by offering an encouraging word, helping someone finish a task, donating supplies to a homeless shelter, or taking food to a grieving family—it is God’s kindness that we are transmitting. Since that is the case, we should never hesitate to be kind, in keeping with God’s abundant outpouring of love. We must keep ourselves in tune so the chord of God’s kindness can sound throughout the world.