Wednesday,
March 7, 2012
What to read for
today.
Chapter 12:The Pure Heart
Questions for your
personal reflection.
Do Merton’s ideas about bodily appetites, discipline and
self-control have any relevance to you?
Sharing with others:
What caught your attention or provoked your thinking today?
What a timely and timeless chapter. I feel that Merton – writing in the
1950’s and 60’s – has put his finger on a prime challenge of contemporary,
urban life in 2012. How does one
live as a contemplative and without self-righteous contempt for the world,
while at the same time resisting “the appeals of a society of salesmen,
advertisers and consumers”? Surely the challenge is more acute today than it
was in Merton’s day. I would be
interested to hear what strategies others have developed to meet this
challenge.
Posted by Genevieve.
Posted by Second Thoughts
ReplyDeleteThe thing that clicked for me today was the comment that if we don't keep bodily appetites under control, then we are under the control of those who would exploit them. Isn't that a perfect description of advertising? Merton sounds a bit out of touch when he talks about television until you really think about it. Never mind the quality of programming - TV advertising aims aims at what seduces us including the way we are wired for salt, sugar and fat, the way men respond to cleavage etc. etc.
I don't think he's telling us to be prudes but he did make me think about where I might be getting sucked in. Could be in the area of status. Or achievement.
at first I thought he was on another rant here, but His point is twofold for me - excess of which we have an overabundance in today's society, is a bad thing and our societal norms are assisting that excess. I 'm not sure I acceot all he has to say about the cure , but for the most part I agree that the natural worlsd is the lace to seek solitude , contemplation and the divine.
ReplyDeletepost by william