--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is a pity that the beautiful Christian…" description: "\"“It is a pity that the beautiful Christian metaphor “salvation” has come to be so hackneyed and therefore so despised. It has been turned into a vapid ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/494/thomas-merton-231_divine-mercy_it-is-a-pity-that-the-beautiful-christia_560698.jpg" --- # It is a pity that the beautiful Christian metaphor… ![“It is a pity that the beautiful Christian metaphor “salvation” has come to be so hackneyed and therefore so despised. It has been turned into a vapid synonym for “piety”—not even a truly ethical concept. “Salvation” is something far beyond ethical propriety. The word connotes a deep respect for…” quote by Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/494/thomas-merton-231_divine-mercy_it-is-a-pity-that-the-beautiful-christia_560698.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/494/thomas-merton-231_divine-mercy_it-is-a-pity-that-the-beautiful-christia_560698.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/494/thomas-merton-231_divine-mercy_it-is-a-pity-that-the-beautiful-christia_560698.jpg) > ““It is a pity that the beautiful Christian metaphor “salvation” has come to be so hackneyed and therefore so despised. It has been turned into a vapid synonym for “piety”—not even a truly ethical concept. “Salvation” is something far beyond ethical propriety. The word connotes a deep respect for the fundamental metaphysical reality of man. It reflects God’s own infinite concern for man, God’s love and care for man’s inmost being, God’s love for all that is His own in man, His son. It is not only human nature that is “saved” by the divine mercy, but above all the human person. The object of salvation is that which is unique, irreplaceable, incommunicable—that which is myself alone. This true inner self must be drawn up like a jewel from the bottom of the sea, rescued from confusion, from indistinction, from immersion in the common, the nondescript, the trivial, the sordid, the evanescent. We must be saved from immersion in the sea of lies and passions which is called “the world.” And we must be saved above all from that abyss of confusion and absurdity which is our own worldly self. The person must be rescued from the individual. The free son of God must be saved from the conformist slave of fantasy, passion and convention. The creative and mysterious inner self must be delivered from the wasteful, hedonistic and destructive ego that seeks only to cover itself with disguises. To be “lost” is to be left to the arbitrariness and pretenses of the contingent ego, the smoke-self that must inevitably vanish. To be “saved” is to return to one’s inviolate and eternal reality and to live in God.”” [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Salvation is the profound rescue of the unique inner self from worldly distractions, ego, and conformity, restoring its divine connection and true identity. **In simple terms:** Saving the true self from ego and world distractions. Key Takeaway Seek inner authenticity beyond worldly conformity. Themes spirituality identity authenticity freedom theology Mood contemplative serene determined Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal meditation - spiritual counseling - creative work - ethical decision‑making Key Concepts metaphysics self‑realization divine love Questions to Reflect On - How can one balance inner rescue with external obligations? - What practices keep the inner self authentic? A Different Perspective Salvation may be idealized, risking neglect of practical social responsibilities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christian Metaphor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-metaphor-4649678/) [Concept Salvation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concept-salvation-4649679/) [Divine mercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divine-mercy/) [Existentialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existentialism/) [God'S Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-s-love/) [Human nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-nature/) [Inner self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inner-self/) [Love and care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-and-care/) [Metaphor Salvation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/metaphor-salvation-4649677/) [Salvation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/salvation/) [Salvation Unique](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/salvation-unique-3695920/) [Son of god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/son-of-god/) ## Related quotes > [“As a result of these high expectations surrounding a greatly valued ideal, health has become a salient metaphor for salvation, even for nonreligious Westerners.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meredith-b-mcguire/as-a-result-of-these-high-expectations-surrounding-a-greatly-valued/) [Meredith B. McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meredith-b-mcguire/) > [Assured of your salvation by the unique grace of our Lord Jesus Christ" is the heartbeat of the gospel, joyful liberation from fear of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brennan-manning/assured-of-your-salvation-by-the-unique-grace-of-our-lord-jesus/) [Brennan Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brennan-manning/) > [One of the the loveliest lines I have ever read comes from Brother Roger, the Prior of the Protestant monks of Taize, France: 'Assured…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brennan-manning/one-of-the-the-loveliest-lines-i-have-ever-read-comes-from-brother/) [Brennan Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brennan-manning/) > [“My opinion is that it is a very extraordinary thing for anyone to be upset by such a topic. Why should anyone be shattered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/my-opinion-is-that-it-is-a-very-extraordinary-thing-for-anyone-to-be/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [“Thus, Michelangelo filled the chapel with hidden messages of his passionate loves and his righteous rages, along with mystic symbols of divine justice and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-blech/thus-michelangelo-filled-the-chapel-with-hidden-messages-of-his/) [Benjamin Blech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-blech/) > [Wherever water flows, life flourishes: wherever tears fall, Divine mercy is shown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/wherever-water-flows-life-flourishes-wherever-tears-fall-divine-mercy/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [“ever there is doubt as to the advisability of advancing a human identity to the mansion worlds, the universe governments invariably rule in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/urantia-foundation/ever-there-is-doubt-as-to-the-advisability-of-advancing-a-human/) [Urantia Foundation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/urantia-foundation/) > [How many people also in our time are in search of God, in search of Jesus and of his Church, in search of divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/how-many-people-also-in-our-time-are-in-search-of-god-in-search-of/) [Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/) > [who can duly adore that Love which will open the high gates to a prodigal who is brought in kicking, struggling, resentful, and darting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/who-can-duly-adore-that-love-which-will-open-the-high-gates-to-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divine/eternal-father-i-offer-you-the-body-and-blood-soul-and-divinity-of/) [Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divine/) > [“Once we’ve concluded that this earthly life of ours is a gift of divine mercy—and grateful recollection of this is our obligation—then we rightly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/once-we-ve-concluded-that-this-earthly-life-of-ours-is-a-gift-of/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [Oh, how great is the goodness of God, greater than we can understand. There are moments and there are mysteries of the divine mercy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-faustina-kowalska/oh-how-great-is-the-goodness-of-god-greater-than-we-can-understand/) [Mary Faustina Kowalska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-faustina-kowalska/) > ["Intellect is the knowledge obtained by experience of names and forms; wisdom is the knowledge which manifests only from the inner being; to acquire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hazrat-inayat-khan/intellect-is-the-knowledge-obtained-by-experience-of-names-and-forms/) [Hazrat Inayat Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hazrat-inayat-khan/) > [There is a warning here for true pilgrims. Beware of the talker, but also be careful not to judge too quickly those whom God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/there-is-a-warning-here-for-true-pilgrims-beware-of-the-talker-but/) [John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) > [“Then she felt herself, she said, to enter into the very bosom of God, where she was transformed into her Beloved, so completely that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-parkinson-keyes/then-she-felt-herself-she-said-to-enter-into-the-very-bosom-of-god/) [Frances Parkinson Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-parkinson-keyes/) ## More by Thomas Merton > [“Let no one hope to find in contemplation an escape from conflict, from anguish or from doubt. On the contrary, the deep, inexpressible certitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/let-no-one-hope-to-find-in-contemplation-an-escape-from-conflict-from/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [If nothing that can be seen can either be God or represent Him to us as He is, then to find God we must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/if-nothing-that-can-be-seen-can-either-be-god-or-represent-him-to-us/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [It is almost impossible to overestimate the value of true humility and its power in the spiritual life. For the beginning of humility is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/it-is-almost-impossible-to-overestimate-the-value-of-true-humility/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [We are not perfectly free until we live in pure hope. For when our hope is pure, it no longer trusts exclusively in human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/we-are-not-perfectly-free-until-we-live-in-pure-hope-for-when-our/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [The desire to kill is like the desire to attack another with an ingot of red -hot iron: I have to pick up the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-desire-to-kill-is-like-the-desire-to-attack-another-with-an-ingot/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [To enter into the realm of contemplation one must in a certain sense die: but this death is in fact the entrance to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/to-enter-into-the-realm-of-contemplation-one-must-in-a-certain-sense/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [The mission of Christian humility in social life is not merely to edify, but to keep minds open to many alternatives. The rigidity of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-mission-of-christian-humility-in-social-life-is-not-merely-to/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [Peace cannot be built on exclusivism, absolutism, and intolerance. But neither can it be built on vague liberal slogans and pious programs gestated in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/peace-cannot-be-built-on-exclusivism-absolutism-and-intolerance-but/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [Things that are good are good, and if one is responding to that goodness one is in contact with a truth from which one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/things-that-are-good-are-good-and-if-one-is-responding-to-that/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [Love winter when the plant says nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/love-winter-when-the-plant-says-nothing/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [The logic of worldly success rests on a fallacy: the strange error that our perfection depends on the thoughts and opinions and applause of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-logic-of-worldly-success-rests-on-a-fallacy-the-strange-error/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [“The wisdom of the flesh is a judgement that the ordinary ends of our natural appetites are the goods to which the whole of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-wisdom-of-the-flesh-is-a-judgement-that-the-ordinary-ends-of-our/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [I will no longer wound myself with the thoughts and questions that have surrounded me like thorns: that is a penance You do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/i-will-no-longer-wound-myself-with-the-thoughts-and-questions-that/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [If you write for God you will reach many men and bring them joy. If you write for men--you may make some money and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/if-you-write-for-god-you-will-reach-many-men-and-bring-them-joy-if/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [“Contemplation means rest, suspension of activity, withdrawal into the mysterious interior solitude in which the soul is absorbed in the immense and fruitful silence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/contemplation-means-rest-suspension-of-activity-withdrawal-into-the/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) [Explore all 851 Thomas Merton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) ## More Divine mercy quotes > [“Then she felt herself, she said, to enter into the very bosom of God, where she was transformed into her Beloved, so completely that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-parkinson-keyes/then-she-felt-herself-she-said-to-enter-into-the-very-bosom-of-god/) [Frances Parkinson Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-parkinson-keyes/) > [Wherever water flows, life flourishes: wherever tears fall, Divine mercy is shown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/wherever-water-flows-life-flourishes-wherever-tears-fall-divine-mercy/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [“ever there is doubt as to the advisability of advancing a human identity to the mansion worlds, the universe governments invariably rule in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/urantia-foundation/ever-there-is-doubt-as-to-the-advisability-of-advancing-a-human/) [Urantia Foundation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/urantia-foundation/) > [Oh, how great is the goodness of God, greater than we can understand. There are moments and there are mysteries of the divine mercy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-faustina-kowalska/oh-how-great-is-the-goodness-of-god-greater-than-we-can-understand/) [Mary Faustina Kowalska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-faustina-kowalska/) > [“Thus, Michelangelo filled the chapel with hidden messages of his passionate loves and his righteous rages, along with mystic symbols of divine justice and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-blech/thus-michelangelo-filled-the-chapel-with-hidden-messages-of-his/) [Benjamin Blech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-blech/) > [There is a warning here for true pilgrims. Beware of the talker, but also be careful not to judge too quickly those whom God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/there-is-a-warning-here-for-true-pilgrims-beware-of-the-talker-but/) [John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) > ["Intellect is the knowledge obtained by experience of names and forms; wisdom is the knowledge which manifests only from the inner being; to acquire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hazrat-inayat-khan/intellect-is-the-knowledge-obtained-by-experience-of-names-and-forms/) [Hazrat Inayat Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hazrat-inayat-khan/) > [“My opinion is that it is a very extraordinary thing for anyone to be upset by such a topic. Why should anyone be shattered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/my-opinion-is-that-it-is-a-very-extraordinary-thing-for-anyone-to-be/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [“Once we’ve concluded that this earthly life of ours is a gift of divine mercy—and grateful recollection of this is our obligation—then we rightly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/once-we-ve-concluded-that-this-earthly-life-of-ours-is-a-gift-of/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divine/eternal-father-i-offer-you-the-body-and-blood-soul-and-divinity-of/) [Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divine/) > [who can duly adore that Love which will open the high gates to a prodigal who is brought in kicking, struggling, resentful, and darting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/who-can-duly-adore-that-love-which-will-open-the-high-gates-to-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [How many people also in our time are in search of God, in search of Jesus and of his Church, in search of divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/how-many-people-also-in-our-time-are-in-search-of-god-in-search-of/) [Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/) > [Salvation has absolutely nothing to do with human merit and absolutely everything to do with divine mercy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-platt/salvation-has-absolutely-nothing-to-do-with-human-merit-and/) [David Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-platt/) > [“There are four evidences of divine mercy here below. The favors of God to beings capable of contemplation (these states exist and form part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/there-are-four-evidences-of-divine-mercy-here-below-the-favors-of-god/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [“Forgiveness. It’s a troubling concept to the morality police of this world. In the callous world of morality, meticulous records are kept that clearly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-mcvey/forgiveness-it-s-a-troubling-concept-to-the-morality-police-of-this/) [Steve McVey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-mcvey/) [Browse all 47 Divine mercy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divine-mercy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It is a pity that the beautiful Christian metaphor “salvation” has come to be so hackneyed and therefore so despised. It has been turned into a vapid synonym for “piety”—not even a truly ethical concept. “Salvation” is something far beyond ethical propriety. The word connotes a deep respect for the fundamental metaphysical reality of man. It reflects God’s own infinite concern for man, God’s love and care for man’s inmost being, God’s love for all that is His own in man, His son. It is not only human nature that is “saved” by the divine mercy, but above all the human person. The object of salvation is that which is unique, irreplaceable, incommunicable—that which is myself alone. This true inner self must be drawn up like a jewel from the bottom of the sea, rescued from confusion, from indistinction, from immersion in the common, the nondescript, the trivial, the sordid, the evanescent. We must be saved from immersion in the sea of lies and passions which is called “the world.” And we must be saved above all from that abyss of confusion and absurdity which is our own worldly self. The person must be rescued from the individual. The free son of God must be saved from the conformist slave of fantasy, passion and convention. The creative and mysterious inner self must be delivered from the wasteful, hedonistic and destructive ego that seeks only to cover itself with disguises. To be “lost” is to be left to the arbitrariness and pretenses of the contingent ego, the smoke-self that must inevitably vanish. To be “saved” is to return to one’s inviolate and eternal reality and to live in God.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas Merton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/it-is-a-pity-that-the-beautiful-christian-metaphor-salvation-has-come/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Divine mercy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/it-is-a-pity-that-the-beautiful-christian-metaphor-salvation-has-come/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/494/thomas-merton-231_divine-mercy_it-is-a-pity-that-the-beautiful-christia_560698.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/494/thomas-merton-231_divine-mercy_it-is-a-pity-that-the-beautiful-christia_560698.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/494/thomas-merton-231_divine-mercy_it-is-a-pity-that-the-beautiful-christia_560698.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is a pity that the beautiful Christian metaphor “salvation” has come to be so hackneyed and therefore so…” — Thomas Merton", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Thomas Merton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It is a pity that the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/it-is-a-pity-that-the-beautiful-christian-metaphor-salvation-has-come/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/it-is-a-pity-that-the-beautiful-christian-metaphor-salvation-has-come/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```