A New Beginning

I have been mulling over starting a weblog for a while. I have always regarded my journals as something personal that should be kept for my own reflection and contemplation. Yet, deep in my heart, I wonder if one day, long after I have passed from this life to the next, my children or grandchildren will discover my journals and read them. Maybe they will be intrigued by this person they never really knew. Maybe they will just throw it away without any hint of interest. Even as I type my daily entries on my laptop, I occasionally feel an urge to share with others the precious gems that I’ve read, the wonderful sights that my eyes have beheld, the thoughts that go through my head, as well as the beautiful moments in life that come as a gift from God.

Not too long ago, I read a book called ‘New Seeds of Contemplation’ by Father Thomas Merton, a Catholic monk and mystic. In it, I found a quote that compelled me to write for a less selfish purpose:

If you write for God you will reach many men and bring them joy. If you write for men, you may make some money and you may give someone a little joy and you may make a noise in the world, for a little while. If you write only for yourself you can read what you yourself have written and after ten minutes you will be so disgusted you will wish that you were dead.

So here I am, with a new blog and a new beginning. Every now and then, I will select portions from my personal journal that I wish to share and put them here. This will be my contribution to the world, no matter how insignificant it may be. Whether it makes a little noise in the world and for how long I don’t know. This is my story, only one in billions of other stories all over; one which makes up just a minute portion of the larger stories that we all find ourselves in.

I name this blog ‘Seeds of Contemplation’, as my personal tribute to the late Father Thomas Merton whose writing inspired me to write for God. I choose the name ‘sojourner’, which means ‘temporary resident’, because that is what we are here on this Earth. It reminds us that our time here is limited; that one day lived is one day less to live. It calls us to live life to the full, to be aware of what God is doing for us, in us and through us. It compels us to live each moment as it comes, because they are gifts from God.