The Everlasting Light

Arthur Conan Doyle's Christmas story, "The Blue Carbuncle," includes the phrase, "the season of forgiveness," which became the title of Poul Anderson's Christmas story (see combox here) which concludes:

"-the hopes and fears of all the years

"Are met in thee tonight."

-"The Season of Forgiveness," p. 139.

Sheila sings in a choir which today sang carols in the town centre. Aileen (daughter) and I sat opposite, drinking coffee. The choir concluded with "O little town of Bethlehem," which Aileen then said was her favourite carol. Fiction and life converged. 

Someone must be able to bring the Abrahamic and other theistic traditions together. By "bring together," I do not mean "doctrinally unify." Impossible and unnecessary. We can live with doctrinal differences in such matters. I mean "understand and acknowledge instead of misunderstand and condemn." There are different versions of stories. What I call a story, some call literally true. OK. That is another difference.

Years ago, we had a Service for Peace in Lancaster Catholic Cathedral with readings from the Veda, the Torah, the Koran and the Fourth Gospel. The Bishop said that it was good to hear the Sanskrit, Hebrew and Arabic. 

An Ivanhoan says that the Earthlings:

"'...should have special wisdom, now in the season of their Prince of Peace.'" (p. 137)

These Ivanhoans, unlike those in the previous story, "The Three-Cornered Wheel," have the Pagan attitude of accepting the reality of other gods.

"The everlasting light" (think of a menorah) is universal. In the Buddha Dharma, a man is enlightened. In the New Testament, the light becomes a man.

"From delusion, lead us to truth.

"From darkness, lead us to light..."

-my adaptation of the Gayatri Mantra.