Blessed are the Peacemakers

Within the space of 10 days in January 2022, the world lost two remarkable peacemakers, both of whom were friends of Thomas Merton and who were fellow strivers for peace in our world for more than half a century.

Jim Forest & Thich Nhat Hanh

Jim Forest was born in 1941. He entered the US Navy, but was discharged as a conscientious objector in 1961. He joined the Catholic Worker movement, working alongside Dorothy Day. He published articles by Thomas Merton and visited him at Gethsemani. Thus began a friendship and a large exchange of letters. After Merton's death he worked tirelessly to promote the cause of peace, carrying forward Merton's legacy until his death on 13 Jan 2022. He wrote many books including biographies of Dorothy Day and Daniel Berrigan, as well as books on Thich Nhat Hanh and Thomas Merton.
A good friend and supporter of our Society, he spoke at our meeting in Edinburgh in 2018 commemorating the 50 years since Merton's death. He spoke movingly of his friendship with Merton, saying, with a tear in his eye, 'I miss him still.'

Thich Nhat Hanh was a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, poet and peacemaker, who was forced to flee his own country during the Vietnam War. He lived in a monastic community in France known as Plum Village. Throughout his life he lectured, taught and wrote many books that deal with Buddhism and with peace. Merton was very impressed by the writings of this young monk. Nhat Hahn visited Merton at Gethsemani in May 1966. After the visit Merton wrote an article called 'Nhat Hahn is My Brother':

'He is more my brother than many who are nearer to me by race and nationality, bacause he and I see things in exactly the same way. . . We are both monks, and we have lived the monastic life about the same number of years. We are both poets, existentialists. I have far more in common with Nhat Hahn than I have with many Americans, and I do not hesitate to say it.'