“The man who is not afraid to admit everything that he sees to be wrong with himself, and yet recognizes that he may be the object of God’s love, can begin to be sincere. His sincerity is based on confidence, not on his own illusions about himself, but in the endless, unfailing mercy of God.”-Thomas Merton, No Man Is an Island (2002)
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing, and perfect will.”- Romans 12:2 (NIV)
Summer Joy Gross moves on in Chapter 3 of The Emmanuel Promise as she notes that the avoidant person’s quest for inner perfection may look like amassing wealth or hyperfocusing on a career. Anything to create a facade of success. A vocational or ministry tower of Babel.
Prolific spiritual writer Thomas Merton (1915-1968) referred to this way of self-protection as the fake ego self. Most significantly, Merton learned the need for self-protection at an early age. When Merton’s mother was dying, she wrote him a short, handwritten letter from her hospital bed. Thomas, age 6, took the letter under his favorite tree to read. In the letter, his mother told him he would never see her again.
In addition, Merton’s father, an artist, always put his quest for the next exhibition before the needs of his son. With nary a thought about how the constant moves affected Thomas.
However, Merton’s life transformed at the age of twenty-seven. At that time, he took a vow of stability when he entered the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky.
Referencing Merton’s change, Summer exhorts:
“Slowly, [Merton] removed his protective barrier and experienced a sense of belonging. The beauty of how God designed our brains is that no matter how deep the patterns of self-protection and hiding go, there is always hope. Our minds are able to be renewed.”
Today’s question: How have you experienced the endless, unfailing mercy of God? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Believing the lies of scarcity”
