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In Louisville, at the corner of Fourth and Walnut, in the center of the shopping district, I was suddenly overwhelmed with the realization that I loved all these people, that they were mine and I theirs, that we could not be alien to one another even though we were total strangers. It was like waking from a dream of separateness, of spurious self-isolation in a special world … Then it was as if I suddenly saw the secret beauty of their hearts, the depths of their hearts where neither sin nor desire nor self-knowledge can reach, the core of their reality, the person that each one is in God’s eyes.”

 Thomas Merton, Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander

4 Responses

  1. I’m so glad that you have begun sharing these wonderful thoughts once again. I’ve missed them.

  2. I’m with Meredith on this. I was going to write “but I long for such an experience.” But do I really? Does my own pain or egotism or something else about me get in the way? Could such an experience possibly be mine if I truly wanted it and prayed about it? Or is it simply a gift, like great intelligence or physical strength, that is given to some of us and not to others, so my job is to find and use my own gifts in ministry to a broken and hurting world and not be concerned about not having Merton’s gift….

  3. It took me a few days to realize the daily postings had been restarted. While I had been saddened to hear that they had been suspended and the reason for that, when I saw today’s quote, my heart was lightened in hope. Thank you for bringing such brilliant and passionate quotes once more to my mail box. Have no doubts they are well received and are an inspiration with which I can enter my day. They are food for my soul. Much gratitude to whomever is the sender and to the organization that is making it possible for this work to be done. Blessings of peace to you all.