Distinguishing Good from Evil

Thomas Merton

It would be a grave sin for me to be on my knees...and spend my time cursing the world without distinguishing what is good in it from what is bad. Wars are evil, but the people involved in them are good, and I can do nothing whatever for my own salvation or for the glory of God if I merely withdraw from the mess people are in and make an exhibition of myself and write a big book saying, “Look! I'm different!" To do this is to die. Because any man who pretends to be either an angel or a statue must die the death.

A Year with Thomas Merton, March 18th