MERTON'S MESSAGE
ITS VALUE TO INDIVIDUALS AND SOCIETY

Thomas Merton speaks to the hearts, minds, and spirits of people searching for answers to life's questions. For many, he serves as a daily companion; for others, his writings provide a place to retreat in difficult times. Thomas Merton invites people to be more aware of the world around them as they explore deep places within themselves. His writings provide a template to being an active contemplative in the world. Merton assures us that there are no quick fixes — no ten steps to a spiritual life. Living contemplatively is a moment-by-moment endeavor.

At the core of Thomas Merton's spiritual writings is the search for the true self  — the self that is not to be experienced alone but to be lived in community. Merton writes often about the importance of relationships. He focuses upon four relationships: with our self, with God, with other people, and with all of creation. When we are disconnected from our relationships, we are more likely to experience alienation. By nurturing our relationships we deepen our connections to God and our selves.

Merton's writings were prophetic for they address the major issues that still confront society today...40+ years after his death. The root of all social and personal ills is an alienation from his (an individual's) inner self which is the image of God. Living contemplatively triggers a transformation of consciousness. Within this new consciousness lays the seeds for resolving personal and societal ills. Merton believed that we, as individuals, must undergo spiritual transformations in order to impact the transformation of the world.

Merton speaks to the thirst for God found in the world today. People are seeking a simpler life while ever deepening their relationships with them selves, family and friends, all of creation, and God. They are discovering that, through their relationships they are gaining a more profound sense of who they are and how they might positively impact the world around them.  

Thomas Merton is a spiritual master whose influence crosses generations and religious traditions. His message offers us timely and relevant advice on becoming aware of our world and being more attentive to God. Through this new consciousness, we may not only hear the answers to the difficult questions in our lives but also have the courage to respond to them in loving, gentle ways.

Through Merton's message and life we can build a new paradigm for living, one that integrates contemplation and action. Within this paradigm lies the understanding that our every day life is our spiritual life. His message can become the source of deep change in our world — a window through which we see the possibilities for a peaceful and just present and future world.

    

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