Finding Peace

There is a depth dimension to life that many of us never discover in the frenzied rush to get through life unscathed by fear or pain.  Call it what you will--awakening to our true nature, a connection to with the compassion at the heart of all things, a sense of unity with creation--I choose to call it the abiding presence of God, Father, Son and Spirit; Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer.  Unfortunately, many of us fear the silence and solitude that leads to this discovery, because they can be painful.  But they are necessary, because we have to quiet the inner dialogue that is constantly dragging us into the past or into the future or anywhere but this present moment.  In fact, it eluded me for years for that very reason--I was afraid of the silence and the solitude of this present moment.  But if you are willing to endure the fear and pain, when you find this depth inside you, you have discovered an unshakable foundation for your life.  You need never again fear being alone because this Presence is with you always.

As Thomas Merton says it, "The only true joy on earth is to escape from the prison of the false self, and enter by love into union with the Life Who dwells and sings within the essence of every creature and in the core of our own souls." (New Seeds of Contemplation, 25)