The Privilege

During my sabbatical I was able to read read read, to my heart's content. Now that my sabbatical is over and I'm back to "work" (yeah, ok, so I'm not really sure what 'work' is yet, but I manage to keep very busy...) I still want to be reading.

The other night, while cleaning out my bedside table, I found a book I haven't looked at in years. It's a treasure. I'm sure you can still find copies on Half.com. It's titled A Diary of Readings by John Baillie. It's a collection of longer quotes, one for each day, "gathered from the wisdom of many centuries... suited to engage serious thought." Baillie also wrote A Diary of Private Prayer, a wonderful devotional.

Here's a portion of today's reading. It's lovely.

I have known what the enjoyments and advantages of this life are, and what the more refined pleasures which learning and intellectual power can bestow; and with all the experience that more than threescore years can give I now, on the eve of my departure, declare to you... that health is a great blessing, competence obtained by honorable industry a great blessing, and a great blessing it is to have kind, faithful and loving friends and relatives; but that the greatest of all blessings, as it is the most ennobling of all privileges, is to be indeed a Christian.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge