Utter amazement came over me when I first read about the “Pearls of Life”. “What the …?” I thought. My grandmother had asked me if I knew them as she had heard about them on the radio where it was claimed that there were already Catholics preferring them over the Rosary. – ???
The background:
This is a tool for tactile prayer, reflection and meditation. It was invented by the Swedish bishop Martin Lönnebo. The first version was given to us in 1996 and is now widely used in Scandinavian countries. In the bishop’s own words it is meant for spiritual exercises in “Courage in facing life, zest for life, self-control and a life close to God”.
There are 18 pearls: the pearl of God, the pearl about me, the pearl of Baptism, the desert pearl, two pearls of love, three secret pearls, the pearl of night and the pearl of Resurrection, plus six pearls of silence in between.
In Germany, the Lutheran “Nordelbische Kirche” (as far as I know not one of the most conservative Lutheran provinces, to put it mildly) seems to have been active in introducing them. The way they write about them makes the matter even more dubious than the English text linked above. They also deny that the thing is a “Protestant Rosary”:
Unlike the Catholic Rosary with its pre-determined prayers, the Pearls of Life open up reflection about one’s own way of life and one’s individual relationship to God and therefore surpass [a simple string of beads for prayer].
Ever read anything about praying the Rosary before you wrote that? Like, that you meditate on the mysteries, reflecting on their importance for your life and your relationship to God, for example?
Maybe for some people, this thing really is a help to prayer. But I cannot help thinking: Why on earth don’t you just stick to the things we have – the Holy Rosary and the Jesus Prayer?
(Plus: A Rosary looks so much nicer than this!)
December 5, 2008 at 4:27 pm
It all sounds very much like “New Age”-style Christianity to me.
December 5, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Indeed. And I always thought the Swedish Lutherans were more “orthodox” than those in Germany.
December 5, 2008 at 10:13 pm
It really is not an attractive object. It reminds me of modern architecture: Different shapes and elements thrown together in a slapdash manner, with no proportion or symmetry.
December 6, 2008 at 11:18 pm
Again that whole “it’s all about me” mind set. (Honestly, there is nothing worthy of meditation about me or my way life.)
Holy Rosary puts things into perspective by encouraging us to focus on the mysteries of the faith with a much more pleasant device. But I guess, praying the Rosary is a thing of the past.. Grr..
December 7, 2008 at 1:21 pm
I must say that in a cerain sense it seems O.K. to me to meditate upon “me” and my way of life: examination of conscience, for example, or the step from the courtyard into the castle in St. Teresa of Avila’s “Interior Castle”. Yet the whole texts make me assume that it is not that kind of introspection that the supporters of this item have in mind.