Sharing inspiration from the monk Thomas Merton, James Finley explains what he has learned about God, healing, and mystical paths.
Grab James Finley’s Memoir, The Healing Path, HERE
This week, James and Raghu have a deep conversation about:
- How James discovered a connection to God through Thomas Merton
- James’ time living in the Abbey of Gethsemani immediately after high school
- The resonance that happens between awakened people
- The secret, safe place that God can commune with us
- Never forgetting what we learn from dark times
- Having empathy for others through our own suffering
- Seeing children as our mentors
- Becoming an act of acceptance for the unexplainable mystery
- The healing stories in the gospels
About James Finley:
James Finley is an author, clinical psychologist, and spiritual director. He is one of the core faculty members of the Center for Action and Contemplation (with Richard Rohr) and is host of the CAC podcast “Turning to the Mystics.” A former novice under Thomas Merton at the Abbey of Gethsemani, he is the author of the classic book Merton’s Palace of Nowhere: A Search for God through Awareness of the True Self. A leading figure in the integration of psychology and spiritual direction, he has led workshops and retreats around the country.
“Often, when the terror is overtaking us, it isn’t until later that we reflect on it. We realize it isn’t that it wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t just terrible. That precisely because it got so dark I was able to see a light shining in the darkness that had come in looking for me, or it was there all along and I didn’t know it.”– James Finley