Thomas Merton once said, “not all men are called to be hermits, but all men need enough silence and solitude in their lives to enable the deep inner voice of their own true self to be heard at least occasionally.” I can’t be a hermit although at times I feel called to it. I need silence and solitude and the older I get the more I realize I need it. Most of what passes as news is scripted to make one think that the most important things in life and in this country in particular is winning the war on terror. A war on terror. Think about it. War is terror. How can war rid of us of terror?
It’s all noise. Just noise and more noise. The truth only begins to emerge in silence and solitude. Living a contemplative life can be difficult. There are so many temptations to yield to cynicism, to give up hope. I do give up hope, probably several times a week. I also regain hope several times a week. It’s the ebb and flow of life and the encouragement of the people around me. I need people to sharpen me, to hone me and yes to drive me to solitude.
I’m sitting here now writing this journal, listening to the fire and fan of my pellet stove. I’m enjoying the return of snow to our lawn following several surreal 55 degree plus days in January. As long as it’s going to snow, I’ll just watch the snow.
Peace.