Green Finger of God

In my last post, I looked at Hildegard of Bingen and gave an outline of her life and work. Continuing this month, I want to go a little deeper by examining her teaching and music. This summer, I was introduced to Hildegard’s concept of the Green Finger of God and her idea of the interconnectedness of all living things. Considering she wrote this in the twelfth century, and that she was a woman, this sounds remarkably like a modern concept.

“Hildegard’s teaching is considered eminent both for its depth, the correctness of its interpretation, and the originality of its views.” Pope Benedict XVI (1)

Hildegard dedicated herself to explaining her divine revelations and making God’s love known. She saw creation as an act of God’s love. As He created the world out of nothing, so His love flows like a river out to all creation. She saw the interconnectedness of all things, every blade of grass, leaf or person, every living thing was in balance. Including our bodies, minds and souls, which are deeply connected.

Viriditas, or greening, is at the heart of many of her visions and reveals how the divine presence moves through all nature. (2) This is a theme in much of her writings, illustrations and music. God’s animated energy flows and infuses everything. To Hildegard, viriditas was an expression of heaven.

Viriditas is the divine healing power and a vitality and freshness that represent spiritual as well as physical health. Not just as something to be seen but to be sought out, to pursue viriditas as a way of engaging with the living creator. To go outside and engage with nature, and with greenness, is a way to engage with the divine.

Ariditas, or drought, is the opposite of viriditas and can occur when something blocks the flow of viriditas, leading to separation from God. It is the tears of repentance which reconcile us to our Father and transform the ariditas into viriditas.   

Her music

Hildegard is credited with more musical works than any other medieval composer. She wrote 77 liturgical chants and was the first to write morality plays. They are easily accessible today through an online or music search. She said they were a theophany, or a physical sign of the presence of God. Calling her collection a “Symphony of the Harmony of Celestial Revelations.” (3) Each day, she and her sisters would sing the hours of prayer according to the Rule of Saint Benedict.

She claimed that she was not taught music, saying, “Moreover, I composed and sang a song in music in praise of God and the saints without being taught be any human being.” (4) However, it is obvious from her written works and music that she had a substantial understanding of theology, scriptual exegesis, and devotional chant and preaching.

For Hildegard, her music was a sacrament, channelling the divine grace from the heavenly choirs down to men and women. They chanted the Work of God (Opus Dei) as He creates, sustains and perfects the world. This story of salvation is a fundamental theme in many of her compositions.

You can listen to “O viriditas digit Dei”

“O fresh viridity of God’s creative finger, in which God planted his green vineyard that glistens in the heights, a lofty pillar: How glorious you are as you prepare for God.”

The International Society of Hildegard of Bingen Studies

Conclusion

Today, we still find Hildegard’s work and music as fresh as when they were written. It is perhaps because of her themes of greenness and the interconnectedness of everything that sounds so modern. She would feel at home with our modern concepts of ecology and conservation. Of bringing viriditas out of ariditas.

Hildegard’s vision of Christ, surrounded by concentric circles of light.

“Hildegard’s teaching is considered eminent both for its depth, the correctness of its interpretation, and the originality of its views.” Pope Benedict XVI (1)

Photo by D L Sutherland

Viriditas, or greening, is at the heart of many of her visions and reveals how the divine presence moves through all nature.

Photo by D L Sutherland

“O fresh viridity of God’s creative finger, in which God planted his green vineyard that glistens in the heights, a lofty pillar: How glorious you are as you prepare for God.”