By José Blanco
Reading today about Thomas Merton from the book - “Merton & Sufism, The Untold Story - A Complete Compendium”, came across a concept that hit hard, and that is the concept of our glee upon sharing our belief/s in God - our God, that is - with others. This is so strong that throughout the ages, it has transformed people into missionaries, bringing their religion and faith to others, and many times, not only sharing it, but imposing it thru force, slavery, and sometimes death.

It is at these times in which we are living the clash again, where christianity (United States’ and areas of its influence) are circling their wagons these days in political venues, TV, news, etc., against other “gods” and beliefs, namely Islam.

And here am I!...reading this book in which Merton writes:
“The secret of the life of prayer is to find the name of your Lord, of “my” Lord, and speak to Him who is your Lord. (emphasis mine).
The author of this chapter - Bonnie Thurston - writes: “According to Merton, our special name for God is tied with our identity…To use or accept someone else’s name for God is to lose our own identity as given to us by God…For him ‘other religions were other people, and not just sets of other doctrines’. In Merton, the ecumenist and the personalizer were united”.
And Merton continues: “Therefore, one has to be careful not to impose on other people one’s own Lord, your own idea of God”…

No wonder so many resist being imposed creeds which are not theirs…I can think of American Indians, maybe our own Taínos (Puerto Rico’s), and multiple others of countries invaded and ‘colonized’ by empires and larger forces, such as - in our hemisphere - Spain, Portugal, the US. And can only think if someway, somehow this teaching by Fr. Merton needs to be made clear, dispersed thru the air waves, so that we can all come together under the season’s …“Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace to men (and women!) of good will.” And may “good will” include love and respect for "the other", no matter their …(fill in the blank)…

Season’s Greetings!

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