One of the first things I did when visiting Stephan’s apartment for the first time was check out his bookshelves. They made an impression then and now I’m making more of an effort to find time to read those books on his shelves that I haven’t read before. Stephan recommended Graham Greene and I started with Travels With My Aunt. It is certainly an entertaining and thought provoking book. I would not want my children reading it and I don’t think HJJN would find it worth it, but it is well written, insightful, and full of character development, which is one of those important elements in a book or movie for me that is often poorly dealt with or left out altogether. In this case the main character leads a simple life that is blown to pieces as his Aunt enters his world late in life and opens his imagination to an exciting way of living. In this case, that way of living is less than godly, though comparatively the descriptions are mild. It is an insightful journey through the mind of one slowly wooed by the excitement of sin. I think it illustrates well how important it is for our imaginations to be shaped by what is good. Life is not meant to be boring and dreary and empty of excitement because we can’t have the fun of sin. Yet how many examples of exciting, beautiful lives lived for the Lord? One thing I appreciate about George MacDanald is how he expands the imagination beyond that which we know and creates desire for the purity, bliss and excitement of abiding in God and growing in his will and discovering the wonderfully exciting world he created. So watch out for your imaginative influences! If you know of inspirational ones and really get you thinking on a different (and good) track, let me know!
“Surely that’s a legend.”
“There speaks a Protestant,” Mr Visconti said, “Any Catholic knows that a legend which is believed has the same value and effect as the truth.”
