Love is Our True Destiny
If you've listened to even one episode of The Commons with Karla podcast to the end, you have heard the Thomas Merton quote I conclude each episode with. Since February is a month of hearts, valentines, and love, I thought I would talk about that quote and share some of what it means to me.
Thomas Merton was a theologian and writer, as well as a Trappist monk, mystic, and poet. He was also ordained into the Catholic priesthood. This specific quote is found in a collection of Merton’s essays and meditations centering on the need for love in learning to live called Love and Living. The collection was published in 1979, eleven years after Merton died in 1968. Merton believed, “Love is the revelation of our deepest personal meaning, value, and identity.” He also held a strong view of God and wrote extensively about his own spiritual journey. Much of his writing was also devoted to both a person’s role in society and the value of solitude.
When I encountered Merton’s quote, my initial reaction was to see “another” as a close relationship or friendship. I deeply value friendship and connection. The idea that we are meant to be in relationship and not experience life alone resonated. There is no denying the richness of living life surrounded by loving relationships, giving and receiving love. The benefits of connection and community impact physical, emotional, spiritual, and psychological health. And the opposite is also true. Serious consequences arise when we experience loneliness and isolation. So to experience love and meaning with another person makes so much sense. Picture someone you love right now. Do you feel positive emotions considering their face and your last encounter with them? How about when you think of something they said that made you laugh? Or an important conversation you enjoyed recently? Even ordinary activities are more fun with another person.
Over time as I regularly read this quote, I have come to see “another” as an encounter with another human being and also an encounter with Jesus. This one is harder to communicate, especially across the internet. Hear my heart when I say that the truest experiences in my life, including relationships and friendships, have come as I walk life out in relationship with Jesus. I have only been a follower of Jesus since 2004. My life before and now are significantly different. I no longer have to guess about meaning or seek meaning in the wrong things. I no longer have to live life alone, knowing Jesus is always present. Love and meaning infinitely increase when I remember my identity in Christ. Believe me when I say I haven’t mastered this and it’s a relief that I don’t have to.
Merton was a man of faith so it is not a leap to consider that he also thought of Jesus when he wrote those words. The invitation to meet and get to know Jesus is open to you too. I am not a theologian like Merton but I am another human being interested in talking to you about your story and what the Bible says about Jesus.
Poetry and prose are personal and like all art invite us to engage and enjoy, based on our worldview and experiences. Often poets and writers create without knowing all the possible interpretations and meanings a reader will have. I would dare say that is always true. We won’t know exactly what Thomas Merton meant when he penned these words about love, destiny, and meaning. Maybe he meant Jesus or maybe he meant friend or neighbor or maybe he meant both. In sharing what this quote means to me I invite you to consider what Merton’s words mean to you. Like me over time, you may change or grow in your interpretation and understanding. One thing is clear, you don’t have to do it alone!
