God and Reason (20)
Then the LORD answered me and said:
“Write the vision
And make it plain on tablets,
That he may run who reads it.” Habakkuk 2.2
Make it plain
Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626) wrote, “reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man.” We take writing for granted. Most of us write every day, whether by hand, in a text or an email, compiling a list, or composing a note or memo in our diary or notepad. We hardly think about writing. We just do it.
But what a wonder of God’s common grace is writing! Think of it: Animals can’t read or write. Only human beings, the image-bearers of God, can make use of this powerful tool. The ability to put letters together into words, words into sentences, sentences into messages, stories, instructions, poems, whole books, and to put those before others who can decipher our intentions by reading—oh, let’s not lose sight of how precious a gift of God this is.
God Himself is a fan of writing, one of its greatest proponents. God loves us so much that He wants us to understand, to the best of our abilities, the greatness and glory of His Being, that majesty of His attributes, the mysteries and secrets of His will, and by reading the words He has carefully prepared for us, to so delight in Him that we “run” to do His will and spread His grace to others.
It takes careful reasoning to understand, interpret, and apply the words God has given us, and this is another reason why we must labor to improve our powers of reasoning. God is a God of order and reason, and discerning His will in the words He has provided requires faithful reading, diligent study, and sound reason.
And one way to improve our reasoning is by writing, specifically, journaling.
The joys of journaling
Journaling? Exactly. You will forgive me for rambling on a bit about one of my favorite disciplines. Journaling on everything from books or articles, conditions of weather, aspects of creation nearby, works of art, poems and music, passages from the Word of God, and possible projects takes up a part of my every day. Typically, I will be struck by a thought, either one originating in mind or coming as a prompt from some external source. I’ll write it down. Then, or perhaps a little later, I’ll begin to think further about that thought in writing. I will restate the thought to make sure it’s clear, then develop further thoughts out of that original impulse to tease out its meanings, surface its truths, and point in directions of thought or life that might be important to me.
For example, recently I re-read Mary Oliver’s A Poetry Handbook, in which she made this point: “Athletes take care of their bodies. Writers must similarly take care of their minds…” That simple reminder led to nearly two pages of thoughts, questions, and resolutions in one of my journals as I sought to discover by writing exactly what the implications of that statement were for me.
On another occasion, walking one of our dogs, I noticed a tiny pink flower, barely off the ground, shaped like a star with a bright sun-like center. Further inspection revealed a small community of those wildflowers, which I later learned were centauries. The experience of observing and identifying that little glimmering gem took up two-and-a-half pages in another journal.
I keep journals on the Scriptures as I read and study them. Indeed, notes on the Word of God constitute by far the great bulk of my journaling. Here is part of a note from last night’s reading of 1 Corinthians 1.3: “Grace first, then peace, the peace of God that passes understanding and enables brethren to live together in divine comity. So Paul announced his purpose right up front. He intended to be a messenger of grace so that grace and peace would result and the church’s witness to their community would be restored.” I will read this note again—and perhaps add to it—every time I pass through this epistle in my reading.
The value of journaling
I delight not only in journaling but in reading through my journals again. I read my Scripture notes—some of them, at least—as part of my daily Bible reading. I devote part of the Lord’s Day for reading and meditating on my various journals, giving thanks to God for past observations or insights.
To benefit from journaling we need only to begin. Write down your thoughts or questions. Don’t worry about teasing out the meaning or implications right away. Meditate or reflect on what you have written, and God will give you further insights as He pleases. Your thinking will become clearer and more focused, and your thoughts will be more exact as you write. Keep something with you to write on. I use my phone because it has a note pad which can be used for jotting things down then journaling on them later. Petrarch wrote that writing can bring great satisfaction and joy to those who write. I find this to be true even when I’m just making an entry in one of my journals.
Journaling can help in developing sound reason because it requires focused thinking and accurate recording, and affords fodder for reflecting and remembering as we peruse our journals over and over. Journaling can be a powerful tool for developing our skills of reasoning and thus for knowing, loving, and serving God.
For reflection or discussion
1. If you were to begin journaling, what do you think you’d focus on first? Why?
2. Why does it make sense to think that writing can lead to exactness?
3. Do you journal on your Bible readings? If not, give it a try. If so, how could you improve your journaling or make better use of your notes?
Next steps—Transformation: Make a list of things on which you might begin to journal. Choose one and get started right away.
T. M. Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
For more insight and guidance in journaling, see my article, In Praise of the Humble Notebook, at the Front Porch Republic wesbsite.
This week: Our Read Moore podcast continues readings from the book, The Joy and Rejoicing of My Heart. In our Crosfigellteaching letter, we are studying examples of the spiritual poetry of the Celtic Revival. And in the daily Scriptorium column we are working our way through the Gospel of Matthew. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
And please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe with your prayers and gifts. You can contribute online, via PayPal or Anedot, or by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451. Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
