THE PLACE WHEREON YOU STAND

[The following is a slightly reworked reprint of my post of October 8, 2016.]

....the will of God is not a 'fate' to which we submit but a creative act in our life producing something absolutely new . . . something hitherto unforeseen by the laws and established patterns. Our cooperation (seeking first the Kingdom of God) consists not solely in conforming to laws but in opening our wills out to this creative act which must be retrieved in and by us. -- Thomas Merton

I don't know why but Thomas Merton's writings usually sail right over my head. I say that to give some understanding to the only thing that grabbed me in this quote, the bit about our cooperation, seeking first the Kingdom of God.

My understanding may be well off the mark from what he meant, but my heart sang on reading it because I have come to believe that seeking first the Kingdom of God is quite literally our only quest. My place in the world, the future of our country, how to help the sick, the poor and the downtrodden are important but seeking first the Kingdom of God is essential.

The mindbender to me is the realization that our rightful place...serving our country, the sick, the poor, the downtrodden...is the search for the Kingdom of God. When we finally learn unto acceptance that our self-determined objectives lead us down blind alleys, we are given to look higher. Our error has been not in the object of our desire but in the beneficiary. When we seek for self, we seek alone; we seek for God, we find others...and God.

We seek first the Kingdom of God and find it right where we stand...the place whereon you stand is holy ground. Where else could we expect to find it? Our Father is within.

Thank you.