Thursday, March 22, 2012
What to read for today.
Chapter 25:Humility Against Despair
Questions for your personal reflection.
If you stopped living for yourself or on the human level and became humble in the manner suggested by Merton, what difference would that make in your thoughts, words or deeds? What relationships would be most affected? In what way?
Sharing with others: What caught your attention or provoked your thinking today?
Merton makes a good case for true humility, a state where a person can do great things without concern for “incidentals” like self-interest, reputation, or self-respect, a state where a person can graciously accept praise and then give it all away, keeping nothing back. But is this attainable? If it were, surely a person would be in a perpetual state of equanimity. They would be Christ-like or Buddha-like all the time. I do not think I am engaging in despair when I say that this is quite impossible.
Posted by Genevieve
Posted by Genevieve
ReplyDeleteAs usual, when I re-read this chapter in light of previous blogs, I saw more than before. This chapter is another illustration of “raindrop mathematics” where two plus two equals one. Merton is telling us that if we insist on seeing ourselves as individual raindrops with responsibility for everything that happens to us, this is hubris. We are misguided and will inevitably reach a point of despair because sooner or later our personal resources simply won’t be enough. It is only when we repose in the divine that we have everything we need. This takes humility. When we are truly humble, we are no longer individual raindrops. “In perfect humility, all selfishness disappears and your soul…is lost and submerged into Him and transformed into Him.”
Posted by Second Thoughts
ReplyDeleteSome interesting ideas here. Despair as the epitome of self-centeredness because you think it all turns on your own efforts. I could see myself in that one. It’s a fairly easy trap to fall into because there is a lot of contemporary hype about how we can be whatever we want to be through the force of our personalities.
To answer today’s question, if I stopped doing this and became really and truly humble, it would put a stop to certain struggles such as regretting that I haven’t achieved what I think I “should” be achieving in the world. This would also change my relationship with other people because, as Merton says, I wouldn’t have any more illusions about myself that I needed to defend. How liberating would that be?
Also from this chapter, the idea of people abandoning faith as adults because it doesn’t produce results like the tooth fairy. I think we’re all guilty of using faith like a magic potion. We pray for success, world peace “and every other good thing we can imagine.” He’s right about that.
I like the abandon faith comment and agree our prayers have a magic type quality about them that could use a little elbow grease instead.
Deletepost by another corner heard
From Genevieve:
DeleteMore thoughts please.
Any time.
Merton makes despair sound like a truly unpleasant place to be. Avoid at all cost! I t was easy to see myself in this at least in part- I have done the oh woe is me!
ReplyDeleteHumility is a lot harder to realize as it easily takes on a prideful nature- this too I have seen in myself. I think of this in relation to the last chapter which I would summarize as treat others as you would yourself. It seems to me that this is a good start on the way to true humility
post by william