Thomas Merton Peacemaker

I read Merton's On Peace over 30 years ago, and remember reading one of the pieces entitled A Devout Meditation on Adolf Eichmann to a group of Wykehamists. At the end of the reading, you could hear a pin drop, such was the powerful impact of Merton's writing. This is an important new book by a peace activist who is the author and editor of some 30 books himself. It is subtitled 'meditations on nursing, peace-making and the spiritual life' and should be read by anyone interested in Merton and/or peace. The correspondence between inner and outer is crucial, as the concepts of contemplative nonviolence and inner disarmament attest. Perhaps the essence of Christian approach is contained in the Sermon on the Mount, which so inspired Gandhi and Tolstoy.

Readers will realise, to their dismay, that much of the structural violence referred to by Merton is still in place. He himself experienced an awakening to universal, compassionate love for every human being, which he felt was the heart of peace-making and the spiritual life. As a hermit, he pursued this also in solitude, striving to live a more conscious life of peace and prayer. The author comments: 'Life is short. Instead of wasting our days chasing after money, power or possessions, life is better spent in the present moment, in the presence of the God of peace, getting ready for an eternity of peace presence of the God of peace. Life invites us to the work of peace, hope and love.' It is interesting to read how Merton convened other religious people in a movement of constructive dissent and radical prophecy. He corresponded with over 1,000 people from his hermitage, including other activists like Dan Berrigan. The book is a fount of inspiration for readers to emulate in their own way.