Our conception of Christ colors our whole life; it informs everything that we touch with its spirit; it makes us what we are.
Nothing could be more untrue than the often-repeated misstatement that we all worship the same God; or that other, that whatever we worship the result is the same.
Nothing matters more than having a true knowledge of Christ….
In the degree of the truth of our conception of Him, our minds grow broader, deeper, and warmer; our hearts grow wiser and kinder; our humor deeper and more tender; we become more aware of the wonder of life; our senses become more sensitive; our sympathies stronger; our capacity for giving and for receiving greater; our minds are made radiant with a burning light, and the light is the light of Christ.
–Caryll Houselander, The Reed of God
A Christmas Caryll (6)
7 responses to “A Christmas Caryll (6)”
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You have me really looking forward to doing The Reed of God with the Undergraduates
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I wish I could sneak into that class.
AMDG -
This class ran first this time last year, with 17 students. It was the first successful course I taught in the US. This semester I have 55 students. It’s much more difficult to interact with that many.
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That’s good, though. It appears that word is getting out. I’d like to take it, too.
Which reminds me: I don’t know if it was that mention of comps a few days ago or what, but last night I dreamed the academic nightmare which good students, of which I am not one, often report. Immediately after avoiding a car crash on an icy road with a striking combination of luck and skill, I remembered that I was in graduate school and taking three courses in addition to having a full-time job, and that I had not done any work or attended any classes for one of them, and the semester was more than half over. Well, I guess it wasn’t quite a full-fledged nightmare, because I told myself I could probably still withdraw. Very unpleasant, though. -
Wow typical anxiety dream!
I only have those when I’m worried about something specific, like waiting on a publisher’s report on a book or the result of a job interview. I had them when I was waiting to know the outcome of my interview here, nearly exactly three years ago (Jan 15).
I don’t teach much about Caryll Houselander. I just get them to read the book and discuss it with them. Last time they liked it a lot. -
I’ve never had any such dream, and would have found the idea of it bizarre, but in the past year I have had nightmares about first-year students being washed away in torrents. Does that make me a good teacher?
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I never had, either, which was why it was so odd. My wife, who is a good student, has them pretty regularly, as do some other good students I know. Yes, I think that makes you a good teacher–or else a pretty bad one.:-)
Light On Dark Water 
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