When I am not sure what to think or when I am tired of thinking about new things, I turn to some old friends for conversation. Not all of these friends are available by phone or any other medium. Some of them are long dead. Some even died centuries ago. But thankfully, they left a legacy in what they wrote. And that was preserved and we can turn to it whenever we want. One of my old buddies is the monk, Thomas Merton.
Merton appeals to me because I think we were probably about as different as you can get. He did things I would never consider and thought things that would not occur to me. Every time I read him, he opens my eyes to something new or different or deeper. I am grateful for friends like this. Of course, I like my living buddies, too. But contemporary conversations are not always crisp or insightful. I am ok with that, but turning to the old giants never leaves me disappointed.
Recently, I ran across some words from Merton. I am not sure where I saw them nor do I know for sure where Merton wrote it. Maybe I am making it up, but it does sound like Merton and it offers me solace in this crazy time. It boosts my spirits and lifts them to face new days ahead. He is my compass for living in these crazy times.
Merton said, “You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith and hope.” As I read this, the first thing that I felt was some relief. Relief is felt; we don’t think relief. We don’t need to know precisely what is happening. That is fantastic because I don’t know precisely what is happening! In my writing with my business buddy, we borrow a term from the military: VUCA. It is an acronym standing for volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous. That is our world today.
We have a pandemic, high unemployment and other things most of us have never seen---at least at these levels. The pandemic is problematic because we are dealing with a reality we cannot even see with the naked eye. We are sitting ducks for a nefarious bug that can kill us. For older folks, it is not even a fair fight. Truly, we can say that we didn’t see it coming!
Merton points to the other end. We don’t know exactly where things are going. In other words, we don’t know what’s happening and we don’t know what will happen. Again, that makes sense with life as I am experiencing it. And it resonates with most other people in my circle of acquaintances. Humans may not be in as much control as we usually think, but surely in these times we feel like we are even less in control. People don’t tell me to “have a good day” anymore. The usual words now are “take care of yourself.” I’m trying, but I don’t know precisely what is happening nor where it is all going.
Now I am ready for Merton’s advice or suggestion. He puts it in the form of something I need to do. We need to recognize the possibilities and challenges of our present moment. This is an interesting pair of words: possibilities and challenges. Certainly the present moment always contains various possibilities. That is true whether we are in difficult times or easy times. Possibilities are gifts the future offers us in the present. We have choices. In this we have some control. I may not have all the choices I want. I might wish some of my possibilities are not ones I want---like getting the Covid bug and being sick, maybe very sick. But that is a possibility.
Of course, there are challenges. This first step suggested by Merton is that I recognize both possibilities and challenges. In other words, open your eyes and see what the present moment is offering. A challenge is not necessarily bad news. Most of us have taken on challenges in our past and done quite well. With this in mind, we are ready for Merton’s last word. We need to embrace them with courage, faith and hope. Recognition leads to embracing. The mental image I have is opening my arms to reach out and take in both possibilities and challenges. I do it with courage. I do it in faith. And most of all, I do it in hope.
Courage, faith and hope are within my control. To have courage is to take heart. It is a form of action. In my theology it is my way of aligning with the Loving Spirit of the universe and saying, “let’s go.” Courage is an action word.
Faith is the language of trust. With courage I trust the Spirit of God and say, “let’s go and do it.” Finally, in hope we go do it in the hope that we can create a future that is good, worthy and desirable. I don’t need to know exactly where the present is heading, because I am a co-creator of the future. It might not be everything I want, but it will be good, worthy and desirable.
That is good news.
Merton appeals to me because I think we were probably about as different as you can get. He did things I would never consider and thought things that would not occur to me. Every time I read him, he opens my eyes to something new or different or deeper. I am grateful for friends like this. Of course, I like my living buddies, too. But contemporary conversations are not always crisp or insightful. I am ok with that, but turning to the old giants never leaves me disappointed.
Recently, I ran across some words from Merton. I am not sure where I saw them nor do I know for sure where Merton wrote it. Maybe I am making it up, but it does sound like Merton and it offers me solace in this crazy time. It boosts my spirits and lifts them to face new days ahead. He is my compass for living in these crazy times.
Merton said, “You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith and hope.” As I read this, the first thing that I felt was some relief. Relief is felt; we don’t think relief. We don’t need to know precisely what is happening. That is fantastic because I don’t know precisely what is happening! In my writing with my business buddy, we borrow a term from the military: VUCA. It is an acronym standing for volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous. That is our world today.
We have a pandemic, high unemployment and other things most of us have never seen---at least at these levels. The pandemic is problematic because we are dealing with a reality we cannot even see with the naked eye. We are sitting ducks for a nefarious bug that can kill us. For older folks, it is not even a fair fight. Truly, we can say that we didn’t see it coming!
Merton points to the other end. We don’t know exactly where things are going. In other words, we don’t know what’s happening and we don’t know what will happen. Again, that makes sense with life as I am experiencing it. And it resonates with most other people in my circle of acquaintances. Humans may not be in as much control as we usually think, but surely in these times we feel like we are even less in control. People don’t tell me to “have a good day” anymore. The usual words now are “take care of yourself.” I’m trying, but I don’t know precisely what is happening nor where it is all going.
Now I am ready for Merton’s advice or suggestion. He puts it in the form of something I need to do. We need to recognize the possibilities and challenges of our present moment. This is an interesting pair of words: possibilities and challenges. Certainly the present moment always contains various possibilities. That is true whether we are in difficult times or easy times. Possibilities are gifts the future offers us in the present. We have choices. In this we have some control. I may not have all the choices I want. I might wish some of my possibilities are not ones I want---like getting the Covid bug and being sick, maybe very sick. But that is a possibility.
Of course, there are challenges. This first step suggested by Merton is that I recognize both possibilities and challenges. In other words, open your eyes and see what the present moment is offering. A challenge is not necessarily bad news. Most of us have taken on challenges in our past and done quite well. With this in mind, we are ready for Merton’s last word. We need to embrace them with courage, faith and hope. Recognition leads to embracing. The mental image I have is opening my arms to reach out and take in both possibilities and challenges. I do it with courage. I do it in faith. And most of all, I do it in hope.
Courage, faith and hope are within my control. To have courage is to take heart. It is a form of action. In my theology it is my way of aligning with the Loving Spirit of the universe and saying, “let’s go.” Courage is an action word.
Faith is the language of trust. With courage I trust the Spirit of God and say, “let’s go and do it.” Finally, in hope we go do it in the hope that we can create a future that is good, worthy and desirable. I don’t need to know exactly where the present is heading, because I am a co-creator of the future. It might not be everything I want, but it will be good, worthy and desirable.
That is good news.
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