Soul Searching

This quote by Thomas Merton is very profound in my thinking at this time of my life:  “Our Christian hope is the purest of all lights that shine in the darkness, but it shines in darkness, and one must enter into darkness to see it shining. "  How often do we go into the darkness to bring the light and our Christian hope?  How often do I?  These words are very convicting. I hope to show this soon at Messiah along with doing a discussion about this man’s journey.  Merton was a prolific writer, poet and painter and photographer.  He was a Trappist monk who lived from 1915 - 1968.  People have asked several presenters at the conference I attended why Merton continues to appeal to people today.  Life is so different than the 50’s and 60’s.  Yet, many, many people still read his writings, attend workshops about him, and try to live out his teachings.  

People often say the same thing about the Bible. How can something written so long ago still be relevant?  And, how can I read today the same words I’ve read many times before and still get something new out of it?

This quote by Thomas Merton offers an explanation: “Living is the constant adjustment of thought to life and life to thought in such a way that we are always growing, always experiencing new things in the old, and old things in the new. This life is always new.”

And we read in 2 Corinthians 5: 17:  "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!“

It is every day that we have to decide to be in Christ.  Every day we are a new creation.  Every day we grow, experience, and have a new perspective, because every day is new and every day we are new in Christ.

How is your new today?

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