Thomas Merton, Trappist monk from the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky, has been dead for fifty years. The occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of his death brought numerous pieces in magazines, newspapers and other media to recognize his life and memory. Actually, it is fairly remarkable that anyone is remembered fifty years after passing. We often hear folks talk about their legacy, but honestly the legacy of most of us is fairly short and not at all profound. Merton is an exception.
At least for me he is an exception. And in his own way, Merton was exceptional. I am confident he is still remembered fifty years after his untimely death at a Christian-Buddhist monastic interreligious conference in Thailand is because he is still relevant. I would admit that most people in this country would not have a clue who Merton is. That probably is even true for folks within his own Roman Catholic tribe. And yet, there are still countless people, not only in this country, but globally, who read and value what Merton had to say.
To share some of his memory, I would like to lift a few ideas from a friend of mine who has written on this occasion. That friend is writer, Dan Horan, who is Franciscan and has been active with me in Merton organization that tries to share the ongoing potential impact of Merton’s life and message. In an article in the National Catholic Reporter, Horan’s title asks the question, “Why should anyone care about Thomas Merton today?” At the top of the article is a picture from 1968 (the year Merton died) of Merton and the Dalai Lama. It is remarkable to see a picture of the Dalai Lama fifty years ago and to see him pictured today.
Dan Horan offers three reasons why Merton still matters. “First, there is the obvious area of continued relevance.” Of course, it is up to the individual person to decide what is relevant. Certainly Horan and I believe Merton is still relevant. For me as a non-Catholic, Merton still matters because he was one of the twentieth century Catholics who opened up the whole world of spirituality even before Vatican II. Merton lived long enough to see and to appreciate what Vatican II meant, not only for the Roman Catholic Church, but other Christian traditions, as well as other major faith traditions---hence the picture with the Dalai Lama.
The second reason Horan offers in his argument that Merton still matters today is “the less-obvious area of the urgent timeliness of his later writings.” Obviously, all of Merton’s thoughts about spirituality and what might be called “the inner life” are still pertinent today. But Horan rightly points to the concerns Merton brings forth around social justice, racism, peace, etc. Sadly in many of these arenas, we are still wrestling with the progress we need to make. Unfortunately, we can look at our current world and still see the need to address racism, to work for peace, to be vigilant for the injustices that smack us in the face. The prayer of Jesus for the kingdom to come is still a prayer to be said and enacted in the lives of people all across the globe.
I very much like Horan’s third reason for Merton’s relevancy today. He argues, “there is what I believe is the most significant reason why people should care about Merton today: his unabashed humanity.” Appropriately, Horan links Merton to Dorothy Day, a woman he met and with whom he worked for a while at the Catholic Worker House in New York City. Interestingly, there is talk in the case of both deceased people---Merton and Day---that they be declared saints. But in both cases, they are “so human” that people with memory can’t bring themselves to recognize their sanctity in their humanity. They have not yet been whitewashed!
It is interesting to hear my Franciscan friend, Dan Horan, talking about Trappist Thomas Merton. Of course, Horan never met Merton; Horan is too young. And yet he has a feel for the “real Merton.” Horan says about Merton: “A truly modern person, Merton's story is one with many turns, surprises, challenges and moments of grace.” That puts it felicitously. All of us who have read Merton know, as Horan shares with us, that Merton spent nearly equal halves of his live before the monastery and in the monastery. But he had a life in both halves. As Horan puts it, “Both halves of his life reveal a complex man whose sanctity and sinfulness, pride and humility, ambition and regret are on wide display, thanks to his prolific writing practices and his willingness not to sugarcoat his joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties.”
Horan’s last sentence is what drew me to Merton. I am old enough that I could have met Merton, but I did not. I know quite a few people who knew Merton. Four of them were pretty good friends and fellow Quakers. However, it never really mattered to me that I didn’t meet Merton. I feel like I have met him in his writings, his many tapes of lectures, etc. He has a legacy and I am profoundly grateful for that. I still share it with students and with groups.
Quakers are not into making saints or, probably better, Quakers think that God’s joke is we all will finally be saints. After all, our faith is a comedy, not a tragedy. I think Merton got this. And in some ways, his life is a testament to the comedic in life, in spite of illness, sin and human shortcomings. Spiritually, I like to think finally life is about grace and gratitude. That is what he teaches me.
And I continue to be a willing student. I celebrate Merton’s life and memory.
At least for me he is an exception. And in his own way, Merton was exceptional. I am confident he is still remembered fifty years after his untimely death at a Christian-Buddhist monastic interreligious conference in Thailand is because he is still relevant. I would admit that most people in this country would not have a clue who Merton is. That probably is even true for folks within his own Roman Catholic tribe. And yet, there are still countless people, not only in this country, but globally, who read and value what Merton had to say.
To share some of his memory, I would like to lift a few ideas from a friend of mine who has written on this occasion. That friend is writer, Dan Horan, who is Franciscan and has been active with me in Merton organization that tries to share the ongoing potential impact of Merton’s life and message. In an article in the National Catholic Reporter, Horan’s title asks the question, “Why should anyone care about Thomas Merton today?” At the top of the article is a picture from 1968 (the year Merton died) of Merton and the Dalai Lama. It is remarkable to see a picture of the Dalai Lama fifty years ago and to see him pictured today.
Dan Horan offers three reasons why Merton still matters. “First, there is the obvious area of continued relevance.” Of course, it is up to the individual person to decide what is relevant. Certainly Horan and I believe Merton is still relevant. For me as a non-Catholic, Merton still matters because he was one of the twentieth century Catholics who opened up the whole world of spirituality even before Vatican II. Merton lived long enough to see and to appreciate what Vatican II meant, not only for the Roman Catholic Church, but other Christian traditions, as well as other major faith traditions---hence the picture with the Dalai Lama.
The second reason Horan offers in his argument that Merton still matters today is “the less-obvious area of the urgent timeliness of his later writings.” Obviously, all of Merton’s thoughts about spirituality and what might be called “the inner life” are still pertinent today. But Horan rightly points to the concerns Merton brings forth around social justice, racism, peace, etc. Sadly in many of these arenas, we are still wrestling with the progress we need to make. Unfortunately, we can look at our current world and still see the need to address racism, to work for peace, to be vigilant for the injustices that smack us in the face. The prayer of Jesus for the kingdom to come is still a prayer to be said and enacted in the lives of people all across the globe.
I very much like Horan’s third reason for Merton’s relevancy today. He argues, “there is what I believe is the most significant reason why people should care about Merton today: his unabashed humanity.” Appropriately, Horan links Merton to Dorothy Day, a woman he met and with whom he worked for a while at the Catholic Worker House in New York City. Interestingly, there is talk in the case of both deceased people---Merton and Day---that they be declared saints. But in both cases, they are “so human” that people with memory can’t bring themselves to recognize their sanctity in their humanity. They have not yet been whitewashed!
It is interesting to hear my Franciscan friend, Dan Horan, talking about Trappist Thomas Merton. Of course, Horan never met Merton; Horan is too young. And yet he has a feel for the “real Merton.” Horan says about Merton: “A truly modern person, Merton's story is one with many turns, surprises, challenges and moments of grace.” That puts it felicitously. All of us who have read Merton know, as Horan shares with us, that Merton spent nearly equal halves of his live before the monastery and in the monastery. But he had a life in both halves. As Horan puts it, “Both halves of his life reveal a complex man whose sanctity and sinfulness, pride and humility, ambition and regret are on wide display, thanks to his prolific writing practices and his willingness not to sugarcoat his joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties.”
Horan’s last sentence is what drew me to Merton. I am old enough that I could have met Merton, but I did not. I know quite a few people who knew Merton. Four of them were pretty good friends and fellow Quakers. However, it never really mattered to me that I didn’t meet Merton. I feel like I have met him in his writings, his many tapes of lectures, etc. He has a legacy and I am profoundly grateful for that. I still share it with students and with groups.
Quakers are not into making saints or, probably better, Quakers think that God’s joke is we all will finally be saints. After all, our faith is a comedy, not a tragedy. I think Merton got this. And in some ways, his life is a testament to the comedic in life, in spite of illness, sin and human shortcomings. Spiritually, I like to think finally life is about grace and gratitude. That is what he teaches me.
And I continue to be a willing student. I celebrate Merton’s life and memory.
Comments
Post a Comment