Thomas A’Kempis takes on the difficult question of how we can consider what we really are in the sight of Almighty God. In this Chapter, 7, of Book 3, the disciple makes a confession to Christ. The confession is one of humility in recognition of the state of the human body (dust and ashes). It is reminiscent of Psalm 51 in many respects.
The Disciple here then recognizes the Hope that is in Christ Jesus.
There, You show to me myself, what I am, what I was, and what I have become: for I am nothing and knew it not; so foolish and ignorant was I.
The Chapter then closes with a prayer of thanksgiving both for God’s great goodness toward the Disciple, but also for his fellow travelers who are ungrateful and ignorant of God’s unfathomable loving Mercy.
CHAPTER VIII
Of The Mean Estimation of Myself In The Eyes Of God
Disciple: I will speak unto my Lord even though I am but dust and ashes (Gn 3:19). If I count myself more, behold You stand against me, and my sins bear true testimony, and I cannot contradict it. But if I abase myself, and bring myself to nothingness, and shrink from all self-esteem, and grind myself to dust, which I am, Your grace will still be favorable to me, and Your light will be near to my heart; and all self-esteem, however minimal it may be, shall be swallowed up in the depths of my nothingness, and shall perish forever.
There You show to me myself, what I am, what I was, and what I have become: 
for I am nothing and knew it not; so foolish and ignorant was I. (Psalm 73:22). If I am left to myself, behold I am nothing, I am all weakness; but if You suddenly look upon me, immediately I am made strong, and filled with new joy. And it is truly wonderful that I am so suddenly lifted up, and so graciously embraced by You, since I am always being carried to the deep by my own weight.
2. This is the doing of Your love which freely goes before me and sustains me in so many necessities, which guards me in great dangers and snatches me, as I may truly say, from countless evils. For truly, by loving myself perversely, I lost
myself, and by seeking and sincerely loving You alone, I found both myself and You, and by this love I have brought myself to yet deeper nothingness: because You, O most sweet Lord, deal with me beyond all merit, and above all which I dare ask or hope for or think.
Hello Timothy,
My name is Kathi Peters and my husband and I are producing a 3-hour documentary on the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation.
We are looking for a high res picture of Thomas a Kempis and stumbled across your beautiful picture of him here on your blog.
Where did you find this?
If you own it, would you be willing to allow us to use it if we credit you in our film?
Thanks so much,
Kathi
Hi Kathi,
Which picture is it? I have several.
Kathi, I’ll send you an email under separate cover. I’ll send you whatever I have. I don’t own the rights to any other than those I’ve taken with my own camera.
There was a magazine in Zwolle with a digital rendering of Thomas, that is probably what you are talking about, but I do not own the rights to that either. I can get you the name of the magazine, however.