tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-170814845771372625.post241289489613787850..comments2024-02-08T10:33:22.915+13:00Comments on Available Light: A Letter to Fr. ThomasKelvin Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16682322819567886400noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-170814845771372625.post-1335081229047457792014-03-06T03:08:06.318+13:002014-03-06T03:08:06.318+13:00Dear Kelvin,
My friend Jonathan Jong sent this my ...Dear Kelvin,<br />My friend Jonathan Jong sent this my way since I've also been doing a fair amount of thinking and writing about Centering Prayer and contemplative spirituality. It's a strange comfort to read the experiences of others who are undergoing the paradoxical undoing that leads to new life!<br /><br />I've been reading Keating and Merton through the lens of Ernest Becker and his stress on the fact that of all creatures, humanity not only dies, but knows that it will die. The coming into awareness of that fact seems to leave open to us two basic options. 1) Deny/repress that realization. 2) In the power of the eternal, through faith, embrace our creaturly place as limited, dying beings and get on with the adventure of living. The second way naturally leads to a good sense of humor towards the absurdities of the former.<br /><br />I've found the tradition that Keating and Merton are working in to be so marvelous at charting second path. Your writing is yet another testament to the simple brilliance of it!<br /><br />Thank you.<br /><br />AlexAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-170814845771372625.post-16181524677101608352014-01-29T09:44:31.243+13:002014-01-29T09:44:31.243+13:00Dear Kelvin,
I am so very, very happy for you in ...Dear Kelvin,<br />I am so very, very happy for you in this new understanding.<br />Thank you so much for sharing this with us, sharing yourself, taking the risk.<br />I wish you every possible joy of this true happiness.<br />Arohanui,<br />BarbaraBarbara Harrisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-170814845771372625.post-14384657701285037652014-01-28T13:56:02.334+13:002014-01-28T13:56:02.334+13:00Yes Kelvin. Absurd as its antics and strategies m...Yes Kelvin. Absurd as its antics and strategies may be, the false self is open to grace, as you suggest. It can make good choices. think the path of freedom from the tyrannies of the false self is in what I call Spirituality 101, letting go. And the new-born, who have not yet acquired anything, call us to simplicity and freedom, and a new innocence. Fresh from God, they ca,, us back to God. John Franklinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-170814845771372625.post-9825358728106793612014-01-27T12:20:09.984+13:002014-01-27T12:20:09.984+13:00Thank you.
John, the absurdity isn't the uni...Thank you. <br /><br />John, the absurdity isn't the universe or the people God has called out of nothing into it. The absurdity is the false self with its pathetic schemes to preserve itself and make itself happy. The absurdity is my unthinking, unquestioned identification with the false self and its ludicrous little schemes. <br /><br />Perhaps one of the great beauties of grandchildren is the privilege of observing at close quarters people who have not yet constructed their false selves and are, more or less, whole, present and innocent. <br /><br />The false self system is absurd. But it is also necessary for us to live in the world, and it has its benefits: such as from time to time propelling us into contact with some extraordinary, beautiful, grace -full people. Kelvin Wrighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16682322819567886400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-170814845771372625.post-48027154265435607852014-01-26T08:58:19.874+13:002014-01-26T08:58:19.874+13:00Moved by your honesty and the freedom and grace of...Moved by your honesty and the freedom and grace of your awareness. Thinking of our value systems, is it the work of grace to transform them? I hear you suggesting that the awesome and the absurd belong together, part of the same in the humour of the divine wisdom.<br />Yesterday, with tears,I held a 2 hour old granddaughter. As her journey unfolds may there be wise ones like you and Fr Thomas to awaken her to the humour and the grace.John Franklinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-170814845771372625.post-10188278810660843662014-01-25T13:53:49.001+13:002014-01-25T13:53:49.001+13:00Humbled,reminded,uneasy,stirred---now longing agai...Humbled,reminded,uneasy,stirred---now longing again for God's love. How absurd that I haven't been taking time to listen. Thank you, brother Kelvin. Elaine Denthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05277699063620071309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-170814845771372625.post-38720581784299150622014-01-24T18:10:49.842+13:002014-01-24T18:10:49.842+13:00Wow. Thank you for sharing this. Sounds like quite...Wow. Thank you for sharing this. Sounds like quite an Epiphany journey!Chris Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13942847767491520406noreply@blogger.com