Everyone knew who she was. She was the grump—and an English professor. Most of them couldn’t recall of what specialty. But she was first and foremost the grump. At every faculty party, she reigned as the food critic who held nothing back except compliments. She was worse than the worst food critic, in fact, for …
Christmastime is one of my favorite seasons to visit my local library. I love bringing home a bag full of books every few weeks full of new Christmas stories to try, gathered from browsing the bookshelves, reading reviews, or asking the librarians for suggestions. Last year my librarians gave me a list of their favorite …
Christmas is the most unusual birthday the world celebrates for many reasons. One reason that became more apparent to me as I studied the Bible this year is Christmas’ connection to the image of Christ as the Lamb of God. My discoveries of this image followed something of a journey, as you’ll see below. The …
Here are seven everyday things I’m thinking about this Thanksgiving. Color—Reading The Secret Lives of Color by Kassia St. Clair this year made me appreciate color. Until recently, the colors I take for granted in clothes and printed materials were not easy or cheap—sometimes even impossible—to manufacture. The discovery of new materials and manufacturing methods …
Chapter One: The Bard Chapter Two: The Mountain Chapter Three: The Cave Chapter Four: The Prophesy Chapter Five: The Nymph Chapter Six: The Quest Homer found himself drawn to the mountainside he had walked once with the son of Troy and his flock. His guide brought him to a grassy outcrop, and Homer sent him away …
From the sword in the stone and the round table of Camelot to stories of knights on quests and courtly romance, Arthurian legend is filled with symbols and repeating themes of courage, honor, and growth in Christian virtue. The medieval poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is no exception, containing many symbols and Arthurian …
Continue reading Growing in Meaning: Gawain’s Green Girdle as a Symbol
Chapter One: The Bard Chapter Two: The Mountain Chapter Three: The Cave Chapter Four: The Prophesy Chapter Five: The Nymph When Homer woke the next morning, he went in search of the young boy who lived nearby and who would often be his eyes and run his errands. “Tell me, lad, have you heard of a …
Chapter One: The Bard Chapter Two: The Mountain Chapter Three: The Cave Chapter Four: The Prophesy Homer found himself under a tree, at the mouth of a different cave and understood his prayer had been granted. He rose to his feet stiffly and called out into the cave, “Oenone, nymph of this mountain, I have a …
Chapter One: The Bard Chapter Two: The Mountain Chapter Three: The Cave “When I began, I led you to believe that this was a mere story or a fragment of truth from the mists of the past that had never reached the ears of this land. Heed me closely now, though, for I tell you earnestly …
Chapter One: The Bard Chapter Two: The Mountain The firelight flickered to life under Paris’ skilled hands. As it grew in strength, it danced shadows upon Paris’ noble features and cast a mountain of crags upon Homer’s own wrinkled face—a pair of contrasts, young past and ancient future, untested youth and wizened age. “There are …
