http://paxchristisouth.org A Peace and Justice Community Serving the Southeast Sun, 06 Jul 2008 18:57:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1 http://paxchristisouth.org/2007/08/31/merton-on-contemplation/#comment-129 joan590287 Sun, 02 Sep 2007 20:02:56 +0000 http://paxchristisouth.org/2007/08/31/merton-on-contemplation/#comment-129 the first time I read this I said "Awesome". The second time I read I latched onto the word "will". We will to love others, we will to concern ourselves about the welfare of others. Jesus tells us to love others and to love our enemies. We don't just think we love others or feel like loving others. We choose to love. That is what I got out of the second reading. Our care and concern for others preaches quite a sermon. I would also suggest reading Joan Chittester's column in NCR. She posts a letter written to her from an Iraqi woman. It is painful to read about the devastation that has been wrought in her country. The first Gulf War, the sanctions, the second Gulf War all have contributed to the devastation. The infrastructure is destroyed, hundreds of thousands have been killed. She asks us to consider why we are there. the first time I read this I said “Awesome”. The second time I read I latched onto the word “will”. We will to love others, we will to concern ourselves about the welfare of others. Jesus tells us to love others and to love our enemies. We don’t just think we love others or feel like loving others. We choose to love. That is what I got out of the second reading. Our care and concern for others preaches quite a sermon.
I would also suggest reading Joan Chittester’s column in NCR. She posts a letter written to her from an Iraqi woman. It is painful to read about the devastation that has been wrought in her country. The first Gulf War, the sanctions, the second Gulf War all have contributed to the devastation. The infrastructure is destroyed, hundreds of thousands have been killed. She asks us to consider why we are there.

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