A Mystic and Her Bible

Mapping my way back to the garden's gate

The Garden’s Gate

I sit here at the narrow gate
With my tools
And my measuring stick.
My mind dares to ask
Will I pass through?
That same question
Eve asked herself
When she first tasted knowledge.

I wrote this poem one morning during my Bible study time when I noticed I was holding on a bit too tight in my mind. It’s a tricky balance for me as a data scientist and Christian mystic.

So, what is my relationship and practice with the Bible? How am I a Biblically based Christian mystic?

Great questions and I have found they are not that easy to answer.

Coming home to the Bible

Over the past few years, the Bible has captured my heart with a depth that takes my breath away. I am surprised to find so much joy in the Bible after many years of avoidance due to its emotional baggage. I wanted to share my approach here transparently since the Bible is such a loaded concept.

For years when I saw it on my shelf, I could hear the hurt little girl in my head reminding me: Isn’t that the book the mean old men used to silence you and make you question your identity and worth?

Yeah, it is that same book.

It’s also the same book I held at a distance, studying the formation of the Biblical canon for clues that something got left out about the role of women in the 1st Century. I even studied the apocryphal books to see for myself, wandering in a different wilderness, but alone and untethered.

So, how did I return to the Bible, opening my heart to its mysteries as the anchor of my faith? The whole story is unfolding in my book The Lydia Effect, but here, I want to share how I live with the Bible now and how it lives in me.

When I was first drawn back to the Bible during the pandemic, I initially stayed distant, studying it to understand the culture wars and “meaning crisis” we are in. I got a lot more than I bargained for (long story - see book!)

When I later started studying the Bible with friends, I could tell my method was different. They saw that I loved reading the Bible and sharing my thoughts and poems, but when I tried to explain my method, I couldn’t.

So, I got even more curious.

Complexity of Bible Interpretations

The untamable force of my curiosity led me into some wildly deep and foreign rabbit holes. I read about exegesis and hermeneutics, the “Four Senses of Scripture,” the Kabbalah approach, Quranic tafsir, and Jewish midrash methods. Although I found many layers and approaches to scriptural study, none really matched what I do. But I did learn a lot by trespassing in the expertise of others!

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash

Here is a simplified summary of what I found about the different ways that people study and interpret the Bible:

1. Literal - direct meaning or interpretation of the events as historical

2. Allegorical - reading the symbolism in the text as a message or layered meaning

3. Analogical - comparative study of similar events and the meaning of these patterns

4. Moral - interpretation of the text as guidance on how to act

5. Prophetic - prophesies and imagery, especially related to “the end times” (eschatological)

6. Mystical - inspired insights, illumination, or divine revelation

7. Allusive - the meaning is alluding to something else, like subtle connections or themes that echo across texts and traditions

8. Psychological - scriptural study that uses psychoanalytical concepts, theories, or methods

There are probably more, but this got the landscape laid out a bit, kind of like I used to do before mapping 10,000 acres—scope out the territory and do reconnaissance.

What Did I Find in the Field?

I noticed right away that some folks hold on tightly to just one or two methods. Some people lord parts of the Bible over others but ignore other parts that challenge them. Some Christians read the Bible like they want a comfortable and simple explanation to the bottomless mystery of God and life. Some read the Bible so they can audit themselves, measuring and checking to be sure they fit through the narrow gate.

Well, these are not my methods. But what did I discover about my approach?

Based on my scientifically trained skepticism, experience with illumination, and reverence for the Bible and the Holy Spirit, I found three things:

1. I am not qualified to determine which combination of the 8+ methods of Biblical interpretation is right for any specific passage.

2. I am suspicious of high certainty/low curiosity interpretations of something as complex as the Bible.

3. I am going to keep doing it in my unique way, tethered to Scripture as the anchor practice in my faith with the Holy Spirit as my guide.

What Works for Me?

In my nerdy brain, I do all of the 8+ methods at once like a puzzle in my head. I go to the Bible for something more precious and subtle than facts or rules — I seek illumination, when the Holy Spirit speaks into my open heart and mind. I seek union with the Logos—the Word—that was there in the beginning, the pattern beyond time that holds everything, both invisible and visible.

With my inspired Bible-reading rhythm, I let my curiosity, imagination, and open heart roam free but still within the canonical sacred story. This combination of spiritual authority and freedom allowed me to fall in love with the Bible again.

Photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash

By loosening up my mind just enough, more light comes into my open heart — with gifts of illumination in the process of sanctification.

Therefore, I hold the Bible as my anchor and the bottomless well of sanctification in my life that it is. My trust in Scripture is rooted in Christ — the Word made flesh — and the sacred mystery that holds it all together. I do not participate in the culture war or doctrinal battles, since I believe sanctification needs reverence, curiosity, Scripture, and the Spirit. None of these are possible when arguing with a closed mind and a closed heart.

I may never be able to fully explain my method, but here’s my inspired rhythm:

• Some days I nerd out and study (exegesis).

• Some days I do Lectio Divina (meditation/prayer with Scripture).

• Some days I do imaginative prayer (Ignatian Contemplation).

• Other days I write poetry (see I Am Adamah offerings).

• Some days I get together with friends and talk about Scripture (yes, The Buddy System, highly recommended).

• Some days, I mix and match!

The Living Word forms me like the potter forms the clay vessel. In the sacred scriptures, I learn and make progress on becoming fully human in the promised freedom of the Spirit.

This is the story of the mystic and her Bible — one day, one step, and one open gate at a time.

Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:14-15 (NIV)