We are kept from the experience of Spirit because our inner world is cluttered with past traumas . . . As we begin to clear away this clutter, the energy of divine light and love begins to flow through our being.
Thomas KeatingRead
The acceptance of all that God has given us and the willingness to let it go - to give it back to him at a moment's notice - that's true human freedom.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True human freedom comes from accepting what we have and being willing to let go of it when needed.
In this quote, Thomas Keating emphasizes the idea that true freedom is not about the accumulation of possessions or the clinging to them, but rather about the acceptance of what life offers and the readiness to surrender it back to a higher power. This mindset fosters a deeper sense of liberation, as it frees individuals from attachment and fear, allowing for a more profound connection to both their own existence and the divine.
Themes
FreedomAcceptanceSurrenderSpiritualityDetachment
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on personal growth, one might quote this to inspire acceptance of life's challenges.
More from Thomas Keating
All quotes →We rarely think of the air we breathe, yet it is in us and around us all the time. In similar fashion, the presence of God penetrates us, is all around us, is always embracing us.
Thomas KeatingRead
Only when we can accept God as he is can we give up the desire for spiritual experiences that we can feel.
Thomas KeatingRead
For human beings, the most daunting challenge is to become fully human. For to become fully human is to become fully divine.
Thomas KeatingRead
To become who we are as creatures made in the image and likeness of God, we have to be nothing and everything at once, since this is what God is. ... If we accept who we are, we are manifesting God and radiating Christ. The latter unfolding of the divine life within us does not need to go anywhere _x000D_ or do anything special.
Thomas KeatingRead
If you accept the belief that baptism incorporates us in the mystical body of Christ, into the divine DNA, then you might say that the Holy Spirit is present in each of us, and thus we have the capacity for the fullness of redemption, of transformation.
Thomas KeatingRead
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