Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in my secret heart. Psalm 51:6
|
Biblically, behold is a term that invites us to slow down, pay attention, be present. It shows up many, many times in the King James Version. In more contemporary versions, it is seen as an archaic word. It may be translated ‘See’ or ‘look” or simply get left out. Which is too bad, because beholding is a delightful practice, nurturing us in seeing truly and in learning wisdom.
The art of beholding is like this. “Behold” means to hold something in your gaze. To behold is not to stare or glance; it is not a quick scan or an expectant look. Beholding has a slow and spacious quality to it. Your vision becomes softer as you make room to take in the whole of what you are seeing. There is a reflective and reverential quality to this kind of seeing. You release your expectations of what you think you will see and instead receive what is actually there, while in the process everything can shift. . . .
When you cultivate the art of beholding, you nurture your capacity to see the world with the eyes of the heart. Hold your camera in your hand and open yourself to grace and revelation hidden in each moment, just beneath the surface of what seems to be another ordinary moment. From Eyes of the Heart: Photography as a Christian Contemplative Practice, by Christine Valters Paintner |
|
|
Contemplative photography is one way of practicing the art of beholding. For many years I set out several times a week, camera in hand, wondering what I would see if I slowed down and opened the eyes of my heart. I would gather images, then later explore them again on my computer, zooming in and making new discoveries. I’d choose a few, add some words and then post them on my blog, Sparks of Light.
When I started, I hadn’t heard the phrase “contemplative photography” and I didn’t know there were others out there doing something similar. I didn’t know that a Mennonite expert on restorative justice, Howard Zehr, had also written a book called The Little Book of Contemplative Photography. Or that there was a Buddhist practice called ‘miksang,’ a Tibetan word meaning “Good Eye” or “Clear Seeing.” I had read Mary Oliver’s poem "Sometimes" and a few lines from that became my motto for the blog. Recipe for living a life: Pay attention./ Be astonished./ Tell about it. Later, as I learned more about the art of beholding, I recognized the same approach. Whether through poetry, photography, painting or presence, beholding allows us to see with fresh eyes, to take delight in God’s world, to let the mystery and wonder of it all reverberate in our inner heart. Take a deep breath. Head out. Go gently.
See what you see. Be present. Take delight. Play with it. Pass it on. |
To learn more about the shape of my practice and its story, read The Gift of a Spiritual Practice
Meditative slideshow from Great Lakes Mennonite Spiritual Directors Retreat 2020
|