Merton’s Palace of Nowhere: A Search for God through
Awareness of the True Self by James Finley
This book explores spirituality, especially contemplative
prayer, as understood by Thomas Merton, an American theologian and mystic.
Merton viewed life from the perspective of a false self
and a true self. Basically, the false self is man prior to redemption, whereas
the true self is the redeemed man. He describes the false self as “someone that
I was never intended to be and therefore a denial of what I am supposed to be.”
We find our true selves in faith through service and
communion with God in wordless prayer. Merton likens this experience to the
ripening of an apple on a tree: It takes place in God’s time.
Author James Finley writes “The purpose of our prayer is
to help us find God, so that we consciously and gratefully live this life, and
through our presence invite others to live it as well.”
I appreciated the many quotes from Merton sprinkled
throughout the book that offer insight into the mind and soul of a soulful man.
This book opened my eyes to the beauty of spending a
concentrated time of prayer simply sitting before God, listening, rather than
telling Him what to do. It’s a great read for anyone seeking a deeper
spirituality.
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