I woke up today meditating on Thomas Merton’s presentation of Christianity in the 1950 Modern Library edition of Augustine’s The City of God. In times such as these, where empire seeks to overtly co-opt the name of Christ and the identity of his followers, Merton’s words are a healing corrective:

“Christianity is more than a moral code, more than a philosophy, more than a system of rites. It is more than a belief; it is a life. That is to say, it is a belief that is lived and experienced in action. The action in which it is expressed, experienced and lived is called a mystery. This mystery is the sacred drama which keeps ever present in history the sacrifice that was once consummated by Christ on Calvary. In plain words Christianity is the life and death and resurrection of Christ going on day after day in the souls of individual men and in the heart of society.”

— Thomas Merton in "The City of God" (Augustine of Hippo), 1950, Random House, Inc.: New York, NY. (Excerpted)

Empire wishes death on its enemies. Christianity inspires resurrection in ours.

Therefore, may we live fully; may we die daily; may we resurrect brightly. And may it be so for everyone.