April 19, 2022 – Words From Merton

One More War

“But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;  always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh.So death is at work in us, but life in you. 2 Corinthians 4:7-12

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Matthew 5:43-45

“I have learned that an age in which politicians talk about peace is an age in which everybody expects war; the great men (and women) of the earth would not talk of peace so much if they did not secretly believe it possible, with one more war, annihilate their enemies forever.”  Thomas Merton (The Pocket Thomas Merton, p. 35)

One More War

Nothing is harder than to love your enemies.  Nothing.  Try it some time, if you haven’t already. Of course, loving our enemies is not just a feeling, it is a doing – doing good things for those who hate you, persecute you, and actively work against you. When we see the terror and the horrible crimes against humanity that happen all around the world, especially now in Ukraine, and with the violence Americans are perpetrating against one another, loving our enemies and praying for them comes home to roost right in our own homes, churches and lives. The only hope we have for turning evil into good or destroying evil for good is to pray for G-d to turn their hearts and to work actively to take the love of G-d into the realms of the evil one. And when it seems this is too hard, we remember the words of Paul – that we are “…clay jars (that carry the love of Jesus inside us), so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies.”

This is how we love our enemies and pray for them.

And so we pray,

Lord Jesus, we look around the world and we see that though we hear people cry “We are for peace”, instead people wage war against their neighbor, their neighboring countries, and complete strangers. Give me the strength today to be a voice of peace. Amen.

Pastor Dave

April 18, 2022 – Words From Merton

A Spiritual Crisis

“The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in Your name. “So He said, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy.” Luke 10:17-19

“We are living in the greatest revolution in history – a huge spontaneous upheaval of the entire human race…  This revolution is a profound spiritual crisis of the whole world, manifested largely in desperation, cynicism, violence, conflict…fear and hope…progress and regression, programs that only dull the general anguish for a moment until it bursts out everywhere in a still more acute and terrifying form.  All the inner force of man is boiling and bursting out, the good together with the evil.

The real trouble with “the world”, in the bad sense which the Gospel condemns, is that it is a complete and systematic sham, and he who follows it ends not by living but by pretending he is alive, and justifying his pretense by an appeal to the general conspiracy of all the others to do the same.” Thomas Merton (The Pocket Thomas Merton, p. 29-30)

A Spiritual Crisis

What gives your life meaning? How do you define yourself? We have witnessed many a sports coach or player who, having announced their retirement, come back months or years later to play again because their lives are defined by one thing – sports. They lose family and marriages because they cannot separate themselves from what they believe is their sole identity. Some retire and end up passing away just a few weeks or months later – dying from what many of us know as “broken heart syndrome.” The shock of not being on the grand stage of their existence kills them, literally.

What gives our lives meaning, my friends, is the love, Grace, mercy and forgiveness of G-d – for us Christians that comes through Jesus Christ.  This is what gives us identity. When the world seems to have failed us, we need not look all over the world hoping to find meaning for our lives. It begins with the recognition that G-d created us, and therefore G-d loves us unconditionally. And G-d’s love is a binding love – it is the love from which all the love we give to others should spring forth.

But if our lives lack the love of G-d within us, then we need to sit back and spend some time with the scriptures. We need to find a community of faith where people share the love of G-d and profess their identity as children of G-d.

Our world is experiencing a Spiritual Crisis as far as I am concerned. We need to be Apostles for G-d, sharing the words and teachings of Jesus – the sent out ones – people who are willing to share the love, mercy and Grace of Jesus to all in need. Perhaps we might save not only a few people who are in spiritual crisis, but we may also save physical lives as well. Now is the acceptable time my friends.

Let us pray,

Lord Jesus, we have experienced our own spiritual crisis from time to time. We have walked through the desert of faith. Give me your presence today as I seek to help others who are in their spiritual deserts. Amen.

Pastor Dave