commemoration of brother louis (thomas merton)

blessed are the peacemakers. and likely to have a difficult time in 1968, when opponents to the war (there's only one, which the empire now admits it wants to make endless) tended to die in rather mysterious circumstances.

i was in college in 1968, only tangentally connected to the church, which seemed to me to have failed to live by the standards it had taught me. occasionally i participated in worship and activities of centenary united methodist church in memphis, which was active in the civil rights movement. my knowledge of things catholic was quite limited, but ramparts magazine published very insightful essays by this monk called thomas merton.

i have always assumed that the cia was involved if not directly responsible for merton's death. i was one of the students picked by the cia to attend national student association activities to see how radical we might become, and to keep under surveilance.

merton's effective opposition to the war began to open to me the understanding that contemplation is action. the most effective action. i still have great respect for the work of centenary united methodist church, and especially of the rev. j. m. lawson, the then-young pastor. if i had not had the experiences i had at centenary, i might have abandoned the church entirely.

but, i can't help but believe that much of our "action" today lacks the foundation of prayer that is necessary for the real work of the kingdom, the kingdom headed by the one we so lightly call at this season of encouraged greed, the prince of peace.