Peace cannot be built on exclusivism, absolutism, and intolerance. But neither can it be built on vague liberal slogans and pious programs gestated in the smoke of confabulation. There can be no peace on earth without the kind of inner change that brings man back to his "right mind." p. 31
Interpretation
True peace requires inclusivity and personal transformation, not just surface-level agreements.
In this quote, Thomas Merton emphasizes that genuine peace cannot emerge from rigid ideologies or exclusionary beliefs. Instead, it necessitates a profound inner change within individuals, allowing for a return to rationality and empathy, which are essential for harmonious coexistence. Merton critiques both dogmatic approaches and superficial liberalism, suggesting that a deeper, more personal commitment to understanding and compassion is crucial for achieving lasting peace.
In practice
During a speech at a community event advocating for social harmony.
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.
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.
Conscience is the light by which we interpret the will of God in our own lives.
You are made in the image of what you desire.
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.
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.
Peace, like charity, begins at home.
War will exist until that distant day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige that the warrior does today.
Without inner peace, outer peace is impossible. We all wish for world peace, but world peace will never be acheived unless we first establish peace within our own minds. We can send so-called 'peacekeeping forces' into areas of conflict, but peace cannot be oppossed from the outside with guns. Only by creating peace within our own mind and helping others to do the same can we hope to achieve peace in this world.
On this International Day of Peace, let us dare to imagine a world free of conflict and violence
You can always make peace with an F-16 in your pocket.
The basis for peace is respecting all creatures.
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