Becoming Ourselves: A Reflection

There is in us an instinct for newness, for renewal, for a liberation of creative power. We seek to awaken in ourselves a force which really changes our lives from within. And yet the same instinct tells us that this change is a recovery of that which is deepest, most original, most personal in ourselves. To be born again is not to become somebody else, but to become ourselves. — Thomas Merton (Choosing to Love the World: On Contemplation) edited by Jonathan Montaldo)

I first read the above quote in Christine Valters Paintner’s book, The Artists Rule: Nurturing Your Creative Soul with Monastic Wisdom. Christine is the Abbess of the online community known as Abbey of the Arts and I am deeply honored to be a part of the Abbey’s Wisdom Council.

I have been sitting with Merton’s quote a good portion of today. I love how Merton invites us to consider that the transformation is actually becoming ourselves. Becoming ourselves. This invitation is to recover whom we were created to be. Imago Dei… made in the image of God. After God created humans in God’s own image, God looked at all of creation and called it very good. (Genesis 1:26-31)

Looking at it this way, being born anew is returning to our original created state… imago Dei… image of God… very good. Perhaps if we looked at each other from that perspective, the world wouldn’t be seen as an us versus them situation but instead it would be a united we.