Thomas Merton

A year or so ago, I had a series of bumper to bumper car accidents, some not my fault and some my fault, that put my car in the body shop frequently. I became such a good customer of this particular body shop that when I went in, afterward, for a small thing, the owner did not charge me. When I asked him why, he said that I was such a good customer.

Since that time I have, fortunately, not been back there. However, today, when a plastic piece in my front end was dragging on the streets, I hesitantly went back to the body shop. The owner had one of his workers look at the situation and decided it was just a simple job of putting staples and the piece back in. The worker did it in about 10 minutes and again there was no charge. It is really good to have a personal car body person.

The horror of today was not this body part hanging from my car but hearing our President using King, Gandhi, just war and nonviolence to justify more killing and violence in Afghanistan as he received the Nobel Peace Prize. Many consider this war not be in our self defense and not justified. He seemed very sincere in his belief that war and violence can bring peace, yet history tells us the opposite. I am sure our “enemies” feel just as sincere in killing us as President Obama feels in killing them. Sincerity does not make it right or just.

Today was the 41st anniversary of the death of a great prophet of our time, Thomas Merton. Thomas Merton, although a monastic monk, saw the world as it is and spoke truths that are as relevant today as they were in the days when “communists” not “terrorists” were our enemies. A friend Jim Forest, who just rewrote his book on Merton Living with Wisdom, sent me words and songs that were inspired by Merton. I will soon put them on the Quotes form Thomas Merton page.

Thomas Merton was our personal body person when it comes to war and peace. He saw the world from a distance yet was in the heart, mind and body of the world, speaking the universal Truth. President Obama desperately needs a personal body person.

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