Clean Quote by Thomas Merton
“Creation was given to people as a clean window through which the light of God could shine into people's souls. Sun and moon, night and day, rain, sea, the crops, the flowering tree, all these things were transparent. They spoke to people not of themselves but only of Him who made them. Nature was symbolic. But the progressive degradation of humans led them further and further from this truth. Nature became opaque.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton, 1948
Nature is portrayed as a clear medium reflecting divine light, but human corruption makes it obscure, hiding spiritual truth.
In simple terms: Nature shows God’s light, but humans cloud it.
Key Takeaway
Seek clarity and avoid moral decay.
Themes
spirituality
environment
human nature
symbolism
Mood
contemplative
melancholic
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- personal reflection
- environmental stewardship
- spiritual practice
- education
- artistic expression
Key Concepts
theology
metaphor
ethical decline
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we restore transparency in our relationship with nature?
- What habits cloud our spiritual perception?
A Different Perspective
Human selfishness and materialism can still obscure deeper meaning.
![“I walked all around it [the Guggenheim Bilbao] and couldn't find one clear, clean shot. To make things worse, the weather was lousy. Nothing about this rang commercial money shot. In a situation like this there's only one thing to do: forget about pleasing editors, please yourself.” quote by Robert Polidori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/375/robert-polidori-55002_clean_i-walked-all-around-it-the-guggenheim-bi_9097.jpg)
