The 'Suchess' of Each Moment

“Paul F. Knitter, Paul Tillich Professor of Theology, World Religions and Culture at Union Theological Seminary since 2007, is a leading theologian of religious pluralism… Knitter’s journey into interfaith dialogue began in 1964 when he was a seminarian in Rome and experienced the Second Vatican Council firsthand, as the Roman Catholic Church declared its new attitude towards other religions.

Most of Dr. Knitter’s research and publications have dealt with religious pluralism and interreligious dialogue...he has been exploring how the religious communities of the world can cooperate in promoting human and ecological well-being. © The Interfaith Observer, 2014”

"The suchness of each moment is the infinite mercy of God."

--Paul Knitter

This quote resonated with me, even before I had had a chance to think about what it meant. ‘The suchness of each moment’, that phrase just felt right! When I did a little digging and came up with Knitter’s background, it became even more intriguing. Just what did he mean by it?

It was more then just saying that we should live life in the present. It reminded me that each moment was unique, that we only had this one chance to live it, that it will never come again in just the same way. And not only for us, but for everyone else as well. Whatever the moment brings, joy, sorrow, disagreement or accord, it will only be here this once. We are called upon to appreciate this ‘suchness’ and to act accordingly by living into and accepting its challenges whatever they may be. By refusing to face up to one of the challenges presented, we deny the moment its ‘suchness’, its uniqueness. Each moment is a gift to us that we need to focus on for that moment and that will never be repeated.

And so I will try to live little more fully in the moment, claiming it for what it is, a ‘suchness’ that will not be repeated.

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NUDGINGS: a journey into the unknown

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