So just, yeah, what was your, have you found in Merton's thought about his relationship to the world? In some ways, monasticism, is that a rejection of the world? Are you going away from the world? It seems like not exactly, but yeah, just curious for your own reflections on on world and Merton.

Yeah.

And I think what you mentioned that there's an analogy between false self and true self and false world and true world that the, uh, The world that we affirm is the world as it comes forth from the hands of God.

The world that we reject is the world as it's been befouled and twisted out of its true pattern by our own selfishness and our own sinfulness.

Maybe I could just read the little introduction to the... world section here, rather than trying to paraphrase it.

So this is the last section of the first chapter.

It says, in traditional Christian teaching, as commonly understood, the world was something to be avoided, part of the unholy trinity, along with the flesh and the devil.

Um, and if you would be willing to share any of, uh, his words with us, uh, that have grabbed you of late.