“The first step toward finding God, Who is Truth, is to discover the truth about myself: and if I have been in error, this first step to truth is the discovery of my error.”
Thomas Merton
This is his century, Thomas Merton’s. He is a hero of mine. Churchill also. And Pema Chodron. And my friends – they are each also my hero and if not I see no real reason they remain friends.
Awareness is the only great work of clergy. If we may be aware of who we are, of what effect we are having on others, of what our calling in life is and of where we often stumble – if we can be aware, then that, with prayer and kindness is all we really need to be good clergy. And I would say it is all we really need to be good humans. To discover our errors and to seek to confine them through growth and friends who tell us the truth – that is the first step toward God.
Do not ask who God is. Ask who you are and God will run along side you cheering your questions, whispering “grow, become, understand.”
It is not people who make mistakes who worry me. We all do. It is people who seem not to care that they make mistakes – it is they who so very deeply bother me.
My job is not to be perfect; but it is to be aware.
I took this photo with Kai on a walk. It is so easy to think God is up there. God made “up there” but God IS within me and all of it. That is why truth is so essential.
