From Tertullian:
Malim nullum bonum quam vanum:
“I would rather have nothing than have vanity.”
When we face the vanity of our best efforts,
their triviality,
their involvement with illusion,
we become desperate.
And then we are tempted to do anything as long as it seems to be good.
We may abandon a better good with which we have become disillusioned, and embrace a lesser good with a frenzy that prevents us from seeing the greater illusion.
(Merton, Journals, May 29-30, 1962, IV.221-22)
—
Sometimes I seek something good- anything good – to make me feel
worthy,
productive,
(well known),
(well liked),
when in fact, there should be nothing at all.
There should always be an emptiness inside of us that allows God and faith to move, to create, to cultivate, to change us.
Sometimes I just shove out God with the vanity of all the good things I try to
do,
(be),
(am).
When all he really needs is for me to be empty.
(And paradoxically…the emptier we become, the more fullness we find).
Comments
18 responses to “Merton Mondays #3: Nothing”
Anne, a very good post! Some years ago, I was in conversation with a good friend who is an older Christian attorney. At one point in our lunch, I asked him how I could “get the church to pray more.” I was thinking that if I did just the right thing, then we would become a praying church. At that time, I think my focus was on a program or technique to make this happen.
My friend responded to this question by saying, “Why don’t you quit trying to do something to the church. Just BE who you need to be. BE a prayerful person yourself and just see what might happen.”
The focus of this desire shifted at that point. Instead of thinking about how I felt or what I needed to do to bring this about, the focus was on who I was and my own sense of dependency on God. The shift was moved from my own efforts to make something happen to being available to God through my own prayer life.
.-= Jim Martin´s last blog ..The Lost Boy of Sudan in Highland Park =-.
Wow!
Good grief – It’s like you and Merton are living in my head. Which makes this post A) creepy, B) awesome, and C) exactly what I needed on this Monday morning.
.-= Jamie, the Very Worst Missionary´s last blog ..Being like Herpes: An object lesson in spreading Faith. =-.
So true for where I am. I don’t really know how to be okay feeling empty, I’ve always put something else there to make it not feel so bad.
But I’m working on it.
Thanks for this.
.-= Lauren´s last blog .. =-.
it seems like the emptier we are …
the more room He has to do what He wants to do …
so that our lives become fuller, richer, more meaningful …
.-= Linda Stoll´s last blog ..Gen Y’s Money Crisis =-.
It’s my pastor’s day off — and the weekend after confirmation and getting my doctorate — which was on “Making Nothing Happen: The Necessary Uselessness of Ministry,” and I somehow landed here with these wonderful Merton-isms about nothing.
A little bit of grace. Thank you.
As usual with these so far….good, good stuff.
I’ll be soaking this in today.
.-= Josh´s last blog ..Something for Saturday =-.
Selah
“He must increase, but I must decrease.” -John the Baptist
-Marshall Jones Jr.
.-= bondChristian´s last blog ..Realizing makes things matter =-.
This is so true. Thank you for the timely reminder.
God bless you
I remember when I used to approach silence and nothingness with white-knuckled terror. I would do anything to avoid it…work more, play more, create more drama, whatever. I realize now that I found the void terrifying, because of my very precarious position of depending on work & others to determine my value. One of my fav questions to ask other girls in counseling now is how they deal with being alone. I think it’s a great barometer for our level of peace with nothingness.
.-= Nicole Unice´s last blog ..I Can Do Anything! =-.
Great stuff here; I’ve really been enjoying the Merton posts. Blessings…
.-= Matthew Gingerich´s last blog ..Feeling rather redneck….. =-.
The quote from Turtullian extends just a bit further: “I prefer nothing good (i.e. wealth, profit, goods, possessions, etc.)rather than vanity. Hope this helps.
.-= Bryan´s last blog ..The Five Senses and a Dark Forest =-.
LOVE THIS POST>
A LOT>
Because it’s the human heart exposed and vulnerable and Lord only knows what that can do for us.
.-= Natalie´s last blog ..Hope… =-.
Really great post, and I have to admit it is not always easy for me to do. My husband and I met a really cool worship leader years ago that really spoke into our lives.
Something he shared that has always stuck with us, “God is way more concerned about who we are and knowing Him than about what we do. That God thinks doing things for Him is just a bunch of doo doo”. Funny way to think about it but it really challenged my little “checklist, pk Christianity”.
I’m a day behind… but that’s ok, this is exactly what I needed to be reminded of today. Thanks for sharing
.-= Pridge´s last blog ..What Haiti Has to Offer =-.
Beautiful Anne; love your posts! Consistently terrific- thank you!
.-= jeni bowen´s last blog ..Where’s my Sackcloth and Ashes? =-.
This sounds like outright Buddhist yoga, empty your mind stuff. No wonder, since Merton was “illuminated” by a Hindu monk in his India trips. The Bible says we should be filled with the Spirit but not empty. The Baptist did not say empty, said “decrease”. No offence, but we deceive ourselves if we think we can drink water from a spring that’s both bitter and sweet.