Visualizing the Ladder
Dr. Brandon Beck
Lay Chaplain, COHI
Monk, The OOOW
Theology Student, Brite Divinity School
““If we wish to reach the very highest point of humility…, we must by our ascending actions erect the ladder Jacob saw in his dream…. By that descent and ascent we must surely understand nothing else than this, that we descend by self-exaltation and ascend by humility.””
The return to Jacob’s Ladder brings us to a liminal space - the space between here and there. In such a liminal space, a great opportunity for kenosis presents itself. How do you empty yourself? The discipline of Lectio Divina is deeply valued and taught in Benedictine monasteries still today. I am drawn to its related Visio Divina. Gazing on an image or creating an image of scripture allows me to fully pour out all my self-exaltation, for who am I among these great images? How do you see this ladder set before us that we climb through growing less? Where up is down and down is up?
Jacob’s Ladder - An Orthodox Icon
Notice that in Orthodox tradition, this Hebrew story is written with Mary, the Theotokos, in the story of Jacob dreaming the ladder between Heaven and Earth. Just as this ladder is a bridge, so will Jesus be through his Mother.
The Ladder of Divine Ascent - An Icon of St. Catherine’s Monastery, Mt. Sinai
Notice that these are monks on the ladder. These are the monks of St. Catherine’s. John Climacus (Climacus means Ladder) wrote a book called The Ladder of Divine Ascent from St. Catherine’s ca. 600, a rulebook similar to the RSB. The monks are ascending following John’s instructions and stories; however, the temptations and “wretched inner demons” are trying, always, to pull them off. John is near the top, in white. Jesus looks down, welcoming them to Heaven.
William Blake’s Jacob’s Ladder c. 1799
British author, mystic, artist William Blake rendered Jacob’s Ladder did this pen and ink watercolor illustration to The Bible for commission.
My own rendition using Google Gemini’s AI
I’ve recently become interested in using my creative writing in combination with the ever improving resource of AI to generate art responses to Scripture as a devotional technique. Using the newly-released Gemini from Google, I ran through several iterations of journal responses to the Genesis passage, the RSB ladder of Humility, and the John Climacus Ladder of Divine Ascent, and I produced this.