Courage, Doubt, and Transformation
To hope is to risk frustration. This is why so many people refuse to hope at all. They fear that disappointment will crush them, so they never allow themselves to desire anything too deeply. Yet what kind of life is that? “To hope is to risk frustration. Therefore, make up your mind to risk frustration.” [1] A life without risk is a life without growth, and a life without hope is a life without faith (Romans 5:3-5). To live fully, one must embrace uncertainty, knowing that true hope is not dependent on external outcomes but on an interior trust in what is good and true.
The fear of failure paralyzes many into inaction. They would rather remain safe, untested, than attempt something and fall short. “Do not be one of those who, rather than risk failure, never attempts anything.” [1] But is it not better to fail while striving for something meaningful than to succeed at something empty? The parable of the talents warns against burying what has been given, for it is those who take risks that bear fruit (Matthew 25:14-30). Failure is not the enemy; stagnation is.
Virtue has lost its appeal in a world that values cleverness over goodness. “The concept of ‘virtue’ does not appeal to men, because they are no longer interested in becoming good. Yet if you tell them that Saint Thomas talks about virtues as ‘habits of the practical intellect,’ they may, perhaps, pay some attention to your words.” [1] If virtue were framed as a means to self-improvement, people might be more interested in it. But true virtue is not about appearing wise or clever—it is about aligning oneself with what is right, even when no one is watching (Micah 6:8).
The human mind is easily distracted by what is flashy and new, even if it is ultimately worthless. “Our minds are like crows. They pick up everything that glitters, no matter how uncomfortable our nests get with all that metal in them.” [1] The pursuit of novelty often leads to cluttered and restless hearts. People fill their lives with information, entertainment, and possessions, yet they still feel empty. Wisdom is knowing what to let go of, keeping only what truly nourishes the soul (Ecclesiastes 1:8).
Discomfort often drives people to foolish decisions. “The devils are very pleased with a soul that comes out of its dry house and shivers in the rain for no other reason than that the house is dry.” [1] Instead of enduring dryness with patience, people rush toward anything that promises relief, even if it leads to greater suffering. The spiritual life requires endurance, trusting that even in arid seasons, God remains present (Isaiah 43:2).
The state of the world can be disheartening, filled with noise and triviality. “I have very little idea of what is going on in the world, but occasionally I happen to see some of the things they are drawing and writing there and it gives me the conviction that they are all living in ash cans.” [1] One need not immerse themselves in the latest cultural trends to recognize the emptiness that pervades them. To remain rooted in what is true, one must step away from the clamor of the world and seek stillness (Psalm 46:10).
Fear of criticism silences many who might otherwise speak truth. “If a writer is so cautious that he never writes anything that cannot be criticized, he will never write anything that can be read.” [1] Those who seek only approval will never create anything of substance. If one’s words are to matter, they must be willing to face opposition. Jesus Himself warned that truth would divide and provoke (Luke 12:51). Speaking with wisdom is important, but silence out of fear is a failure of courage.
Faith is not blind acceptance, but a deeply considered trust in what is unseen. “You cannot be a man of faith unless you know how to doubt.” [1] It is not a passive inheritance of beliefs but an active wrestling with truth. “Faith is not blind conformity to a prejudice—a ‘prejudgment.’ It is a decision, a judgment that is fully and deliberately taken in the light of a truth that cannot be proven.” [1] Even Christ’s disciples questioned, yet their faith grew stronger because they engaged with their doubts (John 20:24-29).
A faith that simply comforts without challenging is not true faith. “A ‘faith’ that merely confirms us in opinionatedness and self-complacency may well be an expression of theological doubt.” [1] If faith does not lead to transformation, it is merely a mask for intellectual laziness. “True faith is never merely a source of spiritual comfort. It may indeed bring peace, but before it does so it must involve us in struggle.” [1] The struggle is where faith is purified, where it ceases to be theory and becomes reality (James 1:2-4).
Memory must be disciplined, lest it become a prison. “Memory is corrupted and ruined by a crowd of ‘memories.’ If I am going to have a true memory, there are a thousand things that must first be forgotten.” [1] True remembering does not dwell solely in the past but brings one into the present. The danger is in clinging to past wounds and regrets, rather than letting them shape a wiser and freer present (Philippians 3:13-14).
People tend to repeat the evils of the past because they fear the unknown more than the familiar. “We are so convinced that past evils must repeat themselves that we make them repeat themselves.” [1] Instead of risking a new way, they settle for old chains. But renewal is possible—if one is willing to trust in God’s power to make all things new (Isaiah 43:19).
Religious zeal, when misplaced, can become more about the messenger than the message. “Their Jesus is quite different from mine.” [1] If Christ is reduced to a projection of personal fears and desires, He ceases to be the true Christ. “Let not their Jesus be a barrier between us, or they will be a barrier between us and Jesus.” [1] True faith allows for mystery, for differences, and for the humility to recognize that no one owns Christ (1 Corinthians 1:12-13).
That which is truly new is also that which is eternal. “That which is oldest is most young and most new.” [1] The pursuit of the latest trends leads only to emptiness, for what is truly life-giving is not what is temporary but what is rooted in the eternal (Hebrews 13:8).
Modern life is a blur of activity with little presence. “For ‘primitives,’ past and future are in the present. For ‘moderns,’ the present is either in the future or in the past.” [1] People announce events, but they do not truly live them. Life happens now—not in memories, not in anticipation, but in the present moment (Matthew 6:34).
Resentment is a poison that sustains suffering. “The most difficult and the most necessary of renunciations: to give up resentment.” [1] Many define themselves by their grievances, yet resentment does not liberate—it enslaves. True freedom is found in releasing the past and embracing forgiveness (Ephesians 4:31-32).
Possessions promise fulfillment but often bring bondage. “We spend our lives climbing the ladder of success, only to find that it is leaning against the wrong wall.” [1] The pursuit of wealth and status can obscure what truly matters. Simplicity and detachment free the soul to pursue what is lasting (Matthew 6:19-21).
People misunderstand their own inner struggles, projecting them onto others. “Do not be too quick to assume that your enemy is a savage just because he is your enemy.” [1] Recognizing this allows for compassion. “Perhaps he is your enemy precisely because he cannot find another way to deal with the overwhelming complexity of his own inner life.” [1] Christ calls His followers to love even their enemies, knowing that hatred often stems from pain (Matthew 5:44).
One must enter into God to truly be transformed. “The poet enters into himself in order to create. The contemplative enters into God in order to be created.” [1] True wisdom is not self-made—it is received. And in receiving it, one is not merely informed but made new (2 Corinthians 5:17).
[1] Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation