Exhortation

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heart, metanoia, peaceful world, september 11, The Hidden Ground of Love, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Thomas Merton

As I remember the shocking attack on our country that was perpetrated on 9/11/2001, I turn to Thomas Merton for a word and find it immediately. It is not soothing but calls me to step up to responsibility. And you?

“The real job is to lay the groundwork for a deep change of heart on the part of the whole nation so that one day it can really go through the metanoia we need for a peaceful world.” (The Hidden Ground of Love, p. 92)

A Tiny Step Forward

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change of heart, Doug Jones, election, metanoia, peaceful world, The Hidden Ground of Love, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Thomas Merton

I am relieved this morning at the news that Doug Jones has prevailed in the special election over Roy Moore in Alabama. It is not about Republican and Democrat for me but about the persons themselves and their beliefs. Although Moore continues to contest the results I feel confident that the outcome will show a better result for the country.

After the sense of relief in that message, I turned to Thomas Merton who, over 50 years ago said the following in the book The Hidden Ground of Love:

The real job is to lay the groundwork for a deep change of heart on the part of the whole nation so that one day it can really go through the metanoia* we need for a peaceful world. (* “a transformative change of heart”)

May it be so in our time!

 

 

 

 

 

Midweek Merton

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deep change of heart, metanoia, Peace, peaceful world, political distress, soften our hearts, terror, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Thomas Merton, welcoming

In the face of all that has happened in the world in the last 24 hours of terror and political distress, just one sentence from Thomas Merton – out of much that he says to me this morning – suffices to focus my energy and resolve for the inner and outer tasks of this new day.

The real job is to lay the groundwork for a deep change of heart on the part of the whole nation so that one day it can really go through the metanoia we need for a peaceful world. (The Hidden Ground of Love, p. 92)

In the many years since Merton wrote these words, technology has brought us in touch nearly instantaneously to the whole world. As a result we must not only see and contribute to the groundwork of peace in our own country but also to soften our hearts for that goal of a peaceful world in more informed, expansive and conscious ways than were possible in Merton’s day. Welcoming those who live across the street and across the world is incumbent upon us in our thoughts, our discourse and our lives of prayer if true peace is to be achieved.