What Donald Trump Has Taught Me
The world of men has forgotten the joys of silence, the peace of solitude, which is necessary for the fullness of human living. Man cannot be happy for long unless he is in contact with the springs of spiritual life which are hidden in the depths of his own soul.” — Thomas Merton.
Donald Trump taught me that to not be him; I had to be something else. To get away from the rage and hurt eating him up, I had to learn something else, or these past years would hurt me almost beyond repair.
In his inability to be silent, I learned the meaning of silence. Through his noise, he taught me quiet.
Donald Trump and I have had the most extraordinary relationship without ever meeting or speaking.
I can’t speak for him, but he taught me some of the most important lessons of my life at a time when I needed to hear them.
I taught him nothing; how could I? It doesn’t seem fair.
I went to the gym today, came home, and sat down to meditate, which I do when I feel something welling up inside of me that needs to come out.
This usually happens late in the afternoon, and it comes out of the silence I seek and cherish.
There has been nothing in my life that has helped or guided me or brought me more grace and wisdom than the silence. In a world of noise, confusion, and conflict, there must be places of silence, inner discipline, and peace. In such places, love and wisdom can blossom.
Sitting in a chair in the quiet, Zinnia at my feet, Bud snoring in my lap, it came to me that I needed to write about the essential things Donald Trump has taught me.
They are important things; they have changed, enriched, and widened my life; they have given me great gifts.
All around me, I see truth fighting for itself, struggling to be seen and heard. Donald Trump taught me to care about the truth; I will never forget about it again.
Donald Trump has taught me not to hate or argue. I thank him for that.
When he was elected President, he shocked me with his dishonesty, cruelty, and rage. I found myself surrounded by people who hated him intensely and who began arguing with other people about him.
I saw them drifting to a place I didn’t want to be.
Sitting in this very same chair (I remember the day quite clearly) in the first days of 2017, I believe it was my angel who spoke to me and said, “Jon, Jon, this can’t be you, this can’t be the next four years.”
She was clear: “Hating someone day after day for four years or more and arguing with strangers over that time will eat up, corrode your soul, drain the spirit. That cannot be you.”
She was right; I heard her very clearly.
