Some Chesterton wisdom

Like most people, I'm too busy to concentrate on writing at present so I thought I might just share some of my Advent reading. My books for this year are my old favourite Advent and Christmas Wisdom from G.K. Chesterton and a recent purchase from Iona, Candles and Conifers.  The poems in my previous post come from the latter. I tend to dip into these books rather than work through them. The days in the run-up to Christmas can  seem more like a season of hectic activity rather than of  thoughtful anticipation so it is good to take a few minutes to sit quietly and forget the list of things to do. I find these books helpful and I'm usually refreshed by a few quiet moments and ready to tackle the next item on that list.

Today, I'm quoting from the Chesterton book, a paragraph from Lunacy and Letters titled Trading Mirth for Madness (I like a bit of both!):

You cannot be too solemn about golf to be a good golfer; you can be a great deal too solemn about Christianity to be a good Christian. You may put into your neckties solemnity, and nothing but solemnity, because neckties are not the whole of your life - at least, I hope not. But in anything that does cover the whole of your life - in your philosophy and your religion - you must have mirth. If you do not have mirth you will certainly have madness.

I wish you all a mirthful day.