photo by wallyg “The solitary life, being silent, clears away the smoke-screen of words that man has laid down between his mind and things,” writes Thomas Merton in Thoughts in Solitude. “In solitude we remain face to face with the naked being of things. And yet we find that the nakedness of reality which weContinue reading “In the Chapter Room”
Tag Archives: Thomas Merton
Finding the Source
Most people associate the creative with the lush, the prolific, the fertile, the rich. Contemplation or meditation as the Trappist Monk Brother Paul Quenon describes it in “Alone and Together” sounds like the opposite: It “is too poor, too empty, and obscure. It is mostly an entrance to and abiding in the emptiness of Christ. Continue reading “Finding the Source”
Alone With Others
Our luminous “Alone and Together” issue is now appearing everywhere like a beautiful new spring bird. And not surprisingly, I have been reflecting about the connection between solitude and community. At times, it feels like THE theme—the very key to life. There is a fascinating article in the issue, on the poet Rilke, who longedContinue reading “Alone With Others”
Tracy Cochran 