URBANarmy

While religion ever slides to the right and to the embrace of conservative ethics and politics, the bible remains a dangerous book calling us to ongoing conversation. That conversion is not simply the call to abandon our own pathetic and pitiful personal wrongdoing, but also involves a conversion from the social deformities that inhabit our soulscape. The idolatries of our time - control, consumerism, exploitation, militarism, narcissism - need to be expelled from our ways of thinking and acting, as much as the personal wrongdoing of greed, pride, lust and deception. Because the themes of Scripture are cast in the framework of a God who loves generously, redeems holistically and seeks to transform us totally, we area called not only to stop doing certain wrongs, but are called to the praxis of doing what is right. Which then draws us into the purposes of the reign of God. Ringma, C. R. (2003:122). Seek the Silences with Thomas Merton: Reflections on Identity, Community and Transformati...

Ringma urges us to learn the basic rhythm between contemplation and activism. "Action is charity looking outward to other men, and contemplation is charity drawn inward to its own divine source. Action is the stream and contemplation is the spring" Merton Ringma , C. R. (2003:122). Seek the Silences with Thomas Merton: Reflections on Identity, Community and Transformative Action . London: Spck Publishing.

"...it is in deep solitude that I find the gentleness with which I can truly love my brothers" (Merton) Ringma comments that 'in the daily round of being in a community where one sees faults and weaknesses, where one may fail to respect others' differentness , and where one does not see the realisation of one's ideals, it is so easy to become negative and critical.' Toleration is not enough - transformation is the goal, In the quiet place one discovers the 'grace for forgiveness , for perseverance and for hope. Ringma , C. R. (2003:87). Seek the Silences with Thomas Merton: Reflections on Identity, Community and Transformative Action . London: Spck Publishing.

Merton believes that 'the desert is ... the logical dwelling place for the man who seeks to be ... dependent upon no one but God'. Ringma talks of the attitude of the heart that can be seen as a desert experience. It is interesting to hear of people's anxiety when they experience the realities of a spiritual barrenness. Quite often seen as a negative and rarely self owned, mostly the fault of others rarely seen as a source of growth. Ringma points out that "a desert is a place of loneliness, lack, emptiness. It is the place where our normal skills and resources are inadequate. And therefore the desert strips us bare... it is ironic that this place, seemingly so difficult and bare, can become the place where we trust God more fully, experience his renewing grace and are empowered to do exploits which we would never have thought possible while we were so full of our own ideas and programmes" Ringma , C. R. (2003:72- 73). Seek the Silences with Thomas Merton: Refle...

Charles Ringma has been a constant companion through his books for several years. I've just finished Seek the Silences with Thomas Merton and have benefited greatly from this guys interpretation of Merton's thoughts and reflections. Periodically I'll post a particular insight that has been helpful to me. "In our contemporary religious world many are the voices that trumpet the gospel of fullness. Fed by the narcissism of our culture, this gospel knows only the message of fulfilment. God's blessings are given to make us better, whole, integrated and empowered... There is a flipside to the gospel of fullness. It is the gospel of emptiness... Just as the spiritual life can't flourish without the smile of God's shalom, so it can not mature without the dark night of the soul. The bounteous muchness of God's Grace is to find its counterpoint in the blight of the desert wind. Merton makes the point that 'unless we are grateful for our own existence, we do...

"...human traditions all tend towards stagnation and decay. They try to perpetuate things that cannot be perpetuated. They cling to objects and values which time destroys without mercy." (New Seeds of Contemplation . 1972:111) Ringma develops these thoughts further: "When traditions are no longer life-giving; no longer empower people; no longer reflect the strange values of God's upside-down kingdom; and when they are no longer relevant as an embodiment of contemporary understandings of faith and life in the light of the gospel, then traditions need to be renewed from within..." Ringma, C. (2003). Seek the Silences with Thomas Merton. So tradition is good ... as long as it is life-giving; empowering; reflects the Kingdom; is relevant in the light of gospel ... not a bad check list to work from.