Sunday, December 7, 2008

Judgement of Work done

The quote below from Thomas Merton below goes well with another from Dan at PoserorProphet where he quotes a letter he received from the theologian Moltmann to the effect, "I do not judge my self" (referring to his own work)

"It is useless to try to make peace with ourselves by being pleased with
everything we have done. In order to settle down in the quiet of our own being
we must learn to be detached from the results of our own activity. We must
withdraw ourselves, to some extent, from the effects that are beyond our control
and be content with the good will and the work that are the quiet expression of
our inner life. We must be content to live without watching ourselves live, to
work without expecting any immediate reward, to love without an instantaneous
satisfaction, and to exist without any special recognition. "
Source: No Man Is an Island


(thanks to inward/outward for the quote)

2 comments:

Mario Lewis said...

Excellent quote! May I also add my two cents: to achieve detachment requires distancing from the desire to be involved, and distancing from the desire for material things. When one does not experience want/desire, then one is automatically not compelled to approach anything/anyone, and one is truly free. This freedom can indeed be the most powerful one that one can experience.

Plessey Mathews said...

Ranger, Thanks. However practically this is quite an uphill task.