Kentucky

Former LBA President Thomas Williams writes a piece for the editorial page of the Courier Journal regarding the 50th Anniversary of Thomas Merton aka Father Louis' epiphany at the corner of 4th and Market (now Ali) in Louisville.  Williams discusses the epiphany, Louisville, the people here, and the opportunity for you to share your epiphany on line with others.

If you are in need of a reflective moment and are tired of chasing your tail and the dollar, take a few minutes (and then more) to take a look at others and a look inside as well.  You may not be in the moment for your inner look-see today, but more assuredly you will one day.  All of of us as we get older will wonder, if not wander, if this or that is all there is.  The sixties generation had no monopoly on giving peace a chance; they simply arrived in a vacuum following WWII.

It seems that you look back more when you have less time to look forward.  As we get older, we search for meaning in the present and justification in the past.  But, it is as it always has been the future where hope is sought and promises fulfilled.  Some will read this post, and that of Thomas Williams, and say "not today".  Others, will take the nudge and take a moment to reflect. 

On a Merton anniversary, the challenge to share your epiphany
by Thomas Williams

Our challenge was embodied in the life Thomas Merton. Merton is one of the most influential American spiritual and religious figures of the twentieth century. His autobiography, The Seven Storey Mountain, has sold many millions of copies and has been translated into over fifteen languages. * * *

You see Merton saw the spark of the divine in you. Like a loving father, he saw you as you really are. He saw the depths that you have but don't share. Like a loving father, he saw your secret beauty that you sometimes don't believe yourself. If you really think about it, what a grace-filled blessing this vision is.

So, in honor of Thomas Merton and his vision, we ask that you see yourself as Merton saw you. Discover your epiphany. Once you have this vision, we ask that you share it. Share it with your loved ones; share it with your neighbors or friends; share it with members of your church or mosque or synagogue. Share it with us. Find that "spark of divinity," that moment of transformation, that powerful event that changed you, and then share it with the world like Father Louis did.

But you ask how do you know if you have found your transformational moment? Merton's vision came after a lifetime of prayer, writing and contemplation. It came from the hard bottom of an existence that knew suffering. Merton may have ended his life like a Saint, but it did not begin that way. You will likely know you have found your epiphany if you weep, if you feel joy and lightness or if you see a profound beauty in the everyday -- a profound beauty that you know to the depths of your being. In the end, Merton believed that all of us are mystics -- that we all have these moments of connection with something both deeper and higher. So test Merton's hypothesis in your life -- see your life with the eyes of a mystic.

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To honor Thomas Merton and his vision of you, we welcome you to share your epiphany with me at tom.williams@skofirm.com