Merton and Identity
Posted by Mark Shaw on May 11, 2008
Who are we? What do we think? Where do we secure out spiritual guidance?
These are questions each of us faces every day, whether we are Christian, Buddhist, Taoist, Muslim, Jewish, a non-believer, or of another religion or spirituality. We each seek to discover our true identity, one Thomas Merton struggles with his entire life. During my research for a new, fresh biography of Merton, I noted the following passage: “The measure of our identity, of our being, is the amount of our love for God. The more we love earthly things, reputation, importance, pleasure, ease, and success, the less we love God.”
This passage appears relevant whether one is a believer or not. Why do we spend so much time on what others think of us, whether we are successful, how much money or possessions we have, and so forth. Instead, why not probe the deeper virtues within us that may trigger a compliment about someones freshly mowed yard, their new hat, a little girl’s doll, an older woman’s hairdo. When all is said and done, it is the little things in life that make a difference, and in this time of struggle and strife with so many, can’t we focus on helping others instead of worrying so much about ourselves?
A brother monk I have interviewed about Merton describes his “tenderness” and “love for others,” that he would drop everything when he heard some friend or brother was suffering. Whenever possible, let’s “drop everything in our lives,” and assist those who need help whether they are deeply in debt, have lost their homes or jobs, are suffering from a dastardly disease, or any number of other problems. Helping others is what life is all about. I’m sure Merton would agree.
