Merton - The Value of Essential Works , by Scott Horton

A friend recently reminded me of the Letter to a Young Activist that Trappist monk Thomas Merton wrote in 1966, and suggested that some of the same issues are again in play now. That letter was originally a personal response to Jim Forest, who was then a young activist and a founder of the Catholic Peace Fellowship, who felt deep discouragement ove... See more

This efficient pursuit of predictable value is the quiet dignity of the mass of working people. But if we are to solve the bigger structural, spiritual, and intellectual problems which aren’t addressed by existing institutions, someone needs to be exploring off of the established road, where there is a high probability of failing to accomplish anyt... See more

“Do not depend on the hope of results. You may have to face the fact that your work will be apparently worthless and even achieve no result at all, if not perhaps results opposite to what you expect. As you get used to this idea, you start more and more to concentrate not on the results, but on the value, the rightness, the truth of the work itself... See more