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 modern world lies under a pervasive sense of anguish, of being abandoned, or at least experiencing God as absent. Yet events that seem to turn our lives upside down and inside out are part of God's redemptive plan, not only for us, but for the world in which we live. God may be preparing a great awakening for the world, if God can find enough people to cooperate in this mysterious plan.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the struggles of modern life and the belief that these hardships are part of a greater divine purpose.
In this quote, Thomas Keating expresses the idea that the feelings of anguish and abandonment prevalent in contemporary society are not just mere experiences, but part of a larger divine redemptive plan. He suggests that the chaotic events in our lives may be preparing us for a significant spiritual awakening, emphasizing the importance of collective human cooperation towards this mysterious and hopeful outcome.
Themes
AnguishAwakeningDivine PlanCooperationRedemption
In practice
Example use cases
In a sermon on hope during difficult times.
More from Thomas Keating
All quotes →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.
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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.
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Only when we can accept God as he is can we give up the desire for spiritual experiences that we can feel.
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For human beings, the most daunting challenge is to become fully human. For to become fully human is to become fully divine.
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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
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