Saturday, January 21, 2012

Something to Consider from Thomas Merton

The pomposity of the  current political campaign language has been overwhelming. While rereading one of  Thomas Merton's books I came across this insight.

"... Christian humility is first of all a matter of supernatural common sense. It teaches us to take ourselves as we are, instead of pretending (as pride would have us imagine) that we are something better than we are. If we really know ourselves we quietly take our proper place in the order designed by God. And so supernatural humility adds much to our human dignity by integrating us in the society of other men and place us in right relation to them and to God. Pride makes us artificial and humility makes us real." (1)

(1)Thomas Merton, No  Man Is An Island, 1955, Harcourt Brace, page 113

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