Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you (Philippians 4:8-9)

Along with the much anticipated return of the warming sun, April marks the beginning of trout fishing season in Michigan.  The lure of angling flashes with every sun glint from watery surfaces recently freed from the grip of ice.  Soon I’ll reorganize and restock my tackle box and oil the reels.

There’s something therapeutic about fishing. I’ve tried to figure out what, but I’m not sure if I can put my finger on it yet. George Younce must think the same way because his little chorus “God Loves to Talk to Boys When They’re Fishin’” revealed he feels it too [See it on YouTube]. I suppose when I have it all figured out, I ought to write a book with a title like The Therapy of Angling. I suspect, however, that many have already been written

I believe that the curative nature of the altered state one enters when fishing must have something to do with where your thoughts go when you have a baited line in the water. Because there is expectation that something exciting is about to happen around your fishhook down in the murky deep, this little bit of anticipation keeps all distracting thoughts from your mind. How can you worry about the stock market when a record bass is about to take your bait?  When you finally reel in and close your tackle box, fish or no fish, you feel refreshed—rejuvenated. [Photo:by fiw_c]

I’ve often wondered if this is one of the most significant reasons for meditation: to rejuvenate the mind. Whatever true meditation is, one thing is clear: the Bible doesn’t say a great deal about it. The majority of references to meditation in the Scripture are on its content, not on its form. In fact, I’ve not found a passage in the Bible that really tells me how to meditate. That’s why I’m often a bit leery about Christian magazine articles and books that purport to teach us the art of biblical meditation. It often appears that most of the directions for meditation come from ancient church mystics, some of whom learned it from Eastern religious practices. I wonder if that’s the best place for Christians to get their guidance.

Simply stated, the Old Testament instructions tell us that we are to meditate on the words, the works, the ways, and the wonders of God—and to do it constantly. New Testament guidance—if one is to interpret “think on” or “dwell on” from Philippians 4:8 as meditation—is that we should let truth, honesty, justice, purity, loveliness, good news, virtue, and praiseworthy things to fill our minds. This makes me think that maybe meditation is not all that complex—that we’re making it more complex than it really is.   [Photo: by Vitó]

The Bible does not tell us that we must assume a specific posture when we meditate. (If it did, I think it would be something like the posture one assumes when fishing!). And it certainly does not encourage us to intone a mystical musical note or chant a particular phrase. The suggestion from some Christian sources that we must “center down” within ourselves before we meditate is also an aspect of the Hindu discipline of yoga. This practice within pantheism is supposed to help you reach your inner “divine being” in order to be in tune with the “All” or with the “Universal Intelligence” which will give you wisdom. It’s also meant to “free you” from the material, which is considered illusion (maya).  That kind of centering, we know, is not Christian. And nowhere in Scripture is it even suggested that meditation is emptying the mind of all thought. In fact, believers are encouraged to fill the mind with godly, pure, and uplifting thoughts.

The result of meditation? In Psalm 1 we’re told that we’ll be like a healthy tree beside a flowing stream. Psalm 119 says we will gain insight and wisdom by meditating on God’s Word. Paul’s conclusion is that when meditation leads to positive application, “the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:9). But where’s the euphoria? Where’s the promise of supernatural mental states or mystical abilities?

I feel that we’ve overburdened the practice of meditation with too much ritual and too many expectations. Could it be possible that listening to a CD of hymns or praise songs—or even “The Moonlight Sonata” on the way to work is Christian meditation? What about homemakers listening to Christian family advice or devotional material on the radio over their morning coffee? Could reading a George MacDonald novel or a Christianity Today magazine also be biblical meditation? The moments spent taking in the first wildflowers of spring, watching an oriole build its hanging nest, or drifting a lazy stream in your kayak—could they also be legitimate moments of meditation?

There are enough bad things said about the quality of Christian experience today. Perhaps on this issue of meditation a lot of people are doing things right.

And maybe I even have a sanctified reason for going fishin’!

[Photo by Pensiero]