Lectio Divina: for the Bereaved

Lectio Divina1

Grief scatters your thoughts. You open your Bible and the words blur together. You read a verse three times and cannot remember what it said. Your mind drifts to what you have lost, and scripture feels impossible to absorb.

This is normal. Grief exhausts your concentration. But there is an ancient way of reading scripture that works even when your focus is shattered.

Lectio Divina means 'divine reading'. It is not about understanding large passages or completing chapters. It is about sitting with a few words and letting God speak through them. When grief has fractured your ability to study, this practice meets you where you are.

Here's how to do it. Choose a very short passage of scripture. Five or six verses at most. Sometimes a single verse is enough. Read it slowly, once.

Now read it again, even more slowly. Listen for a word or phrase that catches your attention. It might comfort you. It might unsettle you. It might simply feel important. Do not force this. If nothing stands out, that is fine. Read it once more and see what happens.

When a word or phrase does catch you, stop reading. Sit with those words. Repeat them quietly. Let them settle in your mind. Do not try to analyse them or work out what they mean. Simply hold them and notice what they stir in you.

If your mind wanders (and it will), gently bring it back to those few words. There is no rush. Grief has stolen so much from you already. Let this be slow.

After a few minutes, let the words fade into silence. Rest in that quiet. God knows your pain. He knows what you cannot put into words. In this silence, you are known.

When you are ready, speak to God about what you have felt. This does not need to be eloquent. It might be gratitude. It might be confusion. It might be anger or sorrow. Say what is true.

Then finish with a minute or two of silence. Simply sit. Let God respond or not respond. Either is enough.

Try this:
"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."
— Psalm 34:18 (NIV)

Read it slowly. Read it again. Which words speak to you? Sit with them. Let God meet you there.

1Lectio Divina is a Latin term meaning "divine reading" or "sacred reading." It refers to a traditional Christian practice of prayerful and meditative reading of Scripture, designed to foster a deeper relationship with God by listening to His word as the "Living Word." Rather than focusing on academic analysis, Lectio Divina emphasizes personal encounter, reflection, prayer, and contemplation, allowing the Holy Spirit to speak through the text in a way that transforms the reader.