Our vocation is not simply to be, but to work together with God in the creation of our own life, our own identity, our own destiny....To work out our identity in God.
Thomas MertonRead
The devil is no fool. He can get people feeling about heaven the way they ought to feel about hell. He can make them fear the means of grace the way they do not fear sin. And he does so, not by light but by obscurity, not by realities but by shadows; not by clarity and substance, but by dreams and the creatures of psychosis. And men are so poor in intellect that a few cold chills down their spine will be enough to keep them from ever finding out the truth about anything.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that deception and fear can manipulate people’s perceptions of good and evil.
Thomas Merton's quote reflects on the idea that the devil, as a symbol of evil, uses subtlety and confusion to distort people's understanding of morality. He argues that rather than relying on clear truths, people are led astray by illusions and fears, which can cloud their judgment, preventing them from recognizing the deeper realities of life and faith. This manipulation showcases the fragility of human intellect when confronted with fear and obscurity, emphasizing the importance of seeking truth beyond surface-level emotions.
Themes
DeceptionFearTruthPerceptionMorality
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the nature of good and evil during a philosophy class.
More from Thomas Merton
All quotes →Conscience is the light by which we interpret the will of God in our own lives.
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You are made in the image of what you desire.
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But if you want to identify me, ask me not where I live, or what I like to eat, or how I comb my hair, but ask me what I think I am living for.
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I have the immense joy of being man, a member of a race in which God Himself became incarnate. As if the sorrows and stupidities of the human condition could overwhelm me, now that I realize what we all are. And if only everybody could realize this! But it cannot be explained. There is no way of telling people that they are all walking around shining like the sun.
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A life is either all spiritual or not spiritual at all. No man can serve two masters. Your life is shaped by the end you live for. You are made in the image of what you desire.
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