Thomas Wingfold, Chapters 81 - end
This post ends our work with George MacDonald’s novel Thomas Wingfold. After a three week break, we will turn next to Paul Faber, Surgeon, the novel which is a sequel to this one, and which MacDonald thought to be his best work in the novel genre. As soon as I have a syllabus prepared. I will send it out to you. If you have friends who might be interested, invite them to join us.
Our reading for today continues focusing our attention upon the spiritual progress that is being made in most of the characters. While Leopold’s health is declining , Wingfold makes regular visits to the Manor House, and in one of his conversations with him, Wingfold gives what is a splendid summary of the manner in which the Spirit of God works with people:
. . . all about us, in earth and air, wherever eye or ear can reach there is a power ever breathing itself forth in signs, now in a daisy, now in a wind-waft, a cloud, a sunset; a power that holds constant and sweetest relation with the dark and silent world within us; that same God who is in us, and upon whose tree we are the buds, if not yet the flowers, also is all about us–inside, the Spirit; outside, the Word. And the two are ever trying to meet in us; and when they meet, the sign without, and the longing within, become one in light, and the man no more walketh in darkness, but knoweth whither he goeth.
The Spirit of God surrounds all people and is ever trying to get their attention.
Wingfold sees that all his efforts with Leopold must center in talk about Jesus, so they contemplate together how Jesus handled various incidents in his life.
The murdered Emmeline’s mother, filled with vengeance and seeking her daughter’s murderer, sees Leopold sleeping on the meadow, then departs. But Wingfold follows her through the village and finally accosts her in the church, where he interviews her and bids her let Leopold die in peace. As Wingfold tells Mr. Drew about her, it comes to light that she was once Drew’s wife and left him, hence committing adultery. But he has forgiven her, and the chapter ends with his determination to be of “some service” to her if he can.
In George Bascombe’s mind we have a study of the state of a soul in full rebellion against God and the supernatural. MacDonald ponders what might be going on in the deepest of his consciousness. In “The Bedside” chapter, he comes upon Polwarth praying by the bedside of the dying Leopold, and his disgust is strong and his rejection complete. We read:
What was in Bascombe’s deepest soul who shall tell? . . . If George had sought there, perhaps he might have found traces of a presence not yet altogether vanished.. In what he called and imagined his deepest soul, however, all he was now conscious of was a perfect loathing of the monstrous superstition so fitly embodied before him. The prayer of the kneeling absurdity was to him an audacious mockery of the infrangible laws of Nature. . . .
In MacDonald’s analysis of such minds, deep within their souls and beyond their conscious awareness there yet exists the image of God, in a coma, as it were, but still capable of being awakened. Given Bascombe’s rebellious attitude, he is thoroughly scornful of any belief in the supernatural, and is utterly incapable of understanding Leopold’s state, or the faith of his helpers. And Helen is necessarily repulsed by his inability of offer her any hope. He is willing to help her, but is utterly at a loss to offer her any real comfort.
All the while Wingfold’s interest in Helen is deepening, but she resents his daring in any way to criticize her conduct, even though it had been done indirectly from the pulpit. Struggling with her all but overpowering feelings of grief at Leopold’s death, she finds her way to the Polwarth’s gatehouse, and there, by their consent overhears the conversation among Polwaths, Drew and Wingfold. Drew poses the issue: why is it that we know nothing, nor can know anything, about the state of those who have died? Polwarth answers that their state is quite beyond the ability of our finite minds to grasp, and that God withholds information in order that people flee for refuge to him, not to a body of information about the nature of immortality.
Drew reads more from his dead brother’s manuscript, his having dreamt that he, as Ahasuerus, had died and in his afterlife was dismayed because he sought God and could not find him. Then in his search he comes upon Christ, as a gardener watering lilies. His heart swelled with joy as Christ receives him, dismissing his having jeered at Christ as he was led to be crucified, as it was done in ignorance, and embraces him in love. Imbued with the same spirit of love, he joyfully follows Christ.
Helen, having overheard it all, stealthily leaves, weeping. On Sunday Wingfold from his pulpit gives personal testimony as to his having come to faith in and complete commitment to Christ. She goes from that to have George repeat his utter certainty that no God exists, and she leaves him, affirming that she is not able to live without a God. The novel ends with Wingfold coming upon Helen as she is playing the organ in an empty church. Each forgives the other for any felt offense, and when Helen asks Wingfold to teach her to believe, he tells her he will help her find Christ, and the story closes with Wingfold kneeling in the church, filled with thanksgiving that he has a strong personal relationship with God.
WHILE THE THEME OF OUR NOVEL IS THAT OF A VARIETY OF PERSONALITIES MOVING THROUGH VARIOUS PHASES IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO GOD, THERE IS NO TALK OF THEOLOGY AS SUCH. IS THAT A SERIOUS OVERSIGHT, OR NOT? WHY DO YOU THINK MACDONALD AVOIDS IT?
* * *
In my own spiritual life, I have been reading and profiting from GMD’s writings for over 60 years, and I have yet to do so without finding an image or a passage that has a fresh impact upon me. Let me share a passage that had such effect during this reading. It is from the chapter entitled “Rachel and Leopold:”
He was gradually learning that his faith must be an absolute one, claiming from God everything the love of a perfect Father could give, or the needs he had created in his child could desire; that he must not look to himself first for help, or imagine that the divine was only the supplement to the weakness and failure of the human; that the highest effort of the human was to lay hold of the divine. He learned that he could keep no simplest law in its loveliness until he was possessed of the same spirit whence that law sprung . . . . that the one thing wherein he might imitate the free creative will of God was, to will the presence and power of that will which gave birth to his.
HAVE YOU ANY SUMMARIZING REMARKS AS TO THE VALUE OF READING THIS NOVEL? PLEASE SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS.
Our reading for today continues focusing our attention upon the spiritual progress that is being made in most of the characters. While Leopold’s health is declining , Wingfold makes regular visits to the Manor House, and in one of his conversations with him, Wingfold gives what is a splendid summary of the manner in which the Spirit of God works with people:
. . . all about us, in earth and air, wherever eye or ear can reach there is a power ever breathing itself forth in signs, now in a daisy, now in a wind-waft, a cloud, a sunset; a power that holds constant and sweetest relation with the dark and silent world within us; that same God who is in us, and upon whose tree we are the buds, if not yet the flowers, also is all about us–inside, the Spirit; outside, the Word. And the two are ever trying to meet in us; and when they meet, the sign without, and the longing within, become one in light, and the man no more walketh in darkness, but knoweth whither he goeth.
The Spirit of God surrounds all people and is ever trying to get their attention.
Wingfold sees that all his efforts with Leopold must center in talk about Jesus, so they contemplate together how Jesus handled various incidents in his life.
The murdered Emmeline’s mother, filled with vengeance and seeking her daughter’s murderer, sees Leopold sleeping on the meadow, then departs. But Wingfold follows her through the village and finally accosts her in the church, where he interviews her and bids her let Leopold die in peace. As Wingfold tells Mr. Drew about her, it comes to light that she was once Drew’s wife and left him, hence committing adultery. But he has forgiven her, and the chapter ends with his determination to be of “some service” to her if he can.
In George Bascombe’s mind we have a study of the state of a soul in full rebellion against God and the supernatural. MacDonald ponders what might be going on in the deepest of his consciousness. In “The Bedside” chapter, he comes upon Polwarth praying by the bedside of the dying Leopold, and his disgust is strong and his rejection complete. We read:
What was in Bascombe’s deepest soul who shall tell? . . . If George had sought there, perhaps he might have found traces of a presence not yet altogether vanished.. In what he called and imagined his deepest soul, however, all he was now conscious of was a perfect loathing of the monstrous superstition so fitly embodied before him. The prayer of the kneeling absurdity was to him an audacious mockery of the infrangible laws of Nature. . . .
In MacDonald’s analysis of such minds, deep within their souls and beyond their conscious awareness there yet exists the image of God, in a coma, as it were, but still capable of being awakened. Given Bascombe’s rebellious attitude, he is thoroughly scornful of any belief in the supernatural, and is utterly incapable of understanding Leopold’s state, or the faith of his helpers. And Helen is necessarily repulsed by his inability of offer her any hope. He is willing to help her, but is utterly at a loss to offer her any real comfort.
All the while Wingfold’s interest in Helen is deepening, but she resents his daring in any way to criticize her conduct, even though it had been done indirectly from the pulpit. Struggling with her all but overpowering feelings of grief at Leopold’s death, she finds her way to the Polwarth’s gatehouse, and there, by their consent overhears the conversation among Polwaths, Drew and Wingfold. Drew poses the issue: why is it that we know nothing, nor can know anything, about the state of those who have died? Polwarth answers that their state is quite beyond the ability of our finite minds to grasp, and that God withholds information in order that people flee for refuge to him, not to a body of information about the nature of immortality.
Drew reads more from his dead brother’s manuscript, his having dreamt that he, as Ahasuerus, had died and in his afterlife was dismayed because he sought God and could not find him. Then in his search he comes upon Christ, as a gardener watering lilies. His heart swelled with joy as Christ receives him, dismissing his having jeered at Christ as he was led to be crucified, as it was done in ignorance, and embraces him in love. Imbued with the same spirit of love, he joyfully follows Christ.
Helen, having overheard it all, stealthily leaves, weeping. On Sunday Wingfold from his pulpit gives personal testimony as to his having come to faith in and complete commitment to Christ. She goes from that to have George repeat his utter certainty that no God exists, and she leaves him, affirming that she is not able to live without a God. The novel ends with Wingfold coming upon Helen as she is playing the organ in an empty church. Each forgives the other for any felt offense, and when Helen asks Wingfold to teach her to believe, he tells her he will help her find Christ, and the story closes with Wingfold kneeling in the church, filled with thanksgiving that he has a strong personal relationship with God.
WHILE THE THEME OF OUR NOVEL IS THAT OF A VARIETY OF PERSONALITIES MOVING THROUGH VARIOUS PHASES IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO GOD, THERE IS NO TALK OF THEOLOGY AS SUCH. IS THAT A SERIOUS OVERSIGHT, OR NOT? WHY DO YOU THINK MACDONALD AVOIDS IT?
* * *
In my own spiritual life, I have been reading and profiting from GMD’s writings for over 60 years, and I have yet to do so without finding an image or a passage that has a fresh impact upon me. Let me share a passage that had such effect during this reading. It is from the chapter entitled “Rachel and Leopold:”
He was gradually learning that his faith must be an absolute one, claiming from God everything the love of a perfect Father could give, or the needs he had created in his child could desire; that he must not look to himself first for help, or imagine that the divine was only the supplement to the weakness and failure of the human; that the highest effort of the human was to lay hold of the divine. He learned that he could keep no simplest law in its loveliness until he was possessed of the same spirit whence that law sprung . . . . that the one thing wherein he might imitate the free creative will of God was, to will the presence and power of that will which gave birth to his.
HAVE YOU ANY SUMMARIZING REMARKS AS TO THE VALUE OF READING THIS NOVEL? PLEASE SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS.
Comments
In summary, I appreciated the book and found myself all too often struggling with my reactions to the story ... It was stretching for me. I'm much too simple and not well enough read to feel totally comfortable with the writing style and vocabulary but it was good for me. In short, the main take away for me was to allow myself to feel my doubts and wait on God to teach me over time to trust Him more.
There is so much in this book. . . in general I find that when I read GMacD, I have to suspend my critical head so that I can try to receive him where he's coming from instead of where other ideas in a similar area have come from. GMacD deconstructed the theology he grew up with and tried to look at every thing as a fresh spring, his Father's gifts to him that he drank from and then overflowed onto the pages of his writings. I think he had a prodigious ability to drink, but oh my his writings can tend to be fire hydrants!
A few areas where re-reading Wingfold continued to expand my imagination: God's great patience (with Wingfold, Ahasuerus,even Bascombe); what unity in the body might look like (commerce in the Kingdom, relationship between Polworth, Wingfold, Drew, Leopold. . .) the many ways in which God speaks to His children (conscience, a breeze or storm, restlessness in the night, through believers & unbelievers, etc); some of the ways "My strength is made perfect in weakness." (Rachel & Polworth, Leopold, Wingfold's awareness of his weak faith making him humble & teachable, etc); What Love (God) requires of us when up against a messy situation (Polworth & Wingfold model ministering to the person in front of them and allowing that person to follow their own conscience, no compelling or condemnation).
A few questions about where GMacD is coming from: Why does he make Leopold have a Hindu mother? When does he believe Christians ought to intervene forcefully in the life of another (Wingfold does so with Mrs.Drew)? Why did he have Leopold on drugs when he committed his crime, simply to make his disorientation plausible or was it more than that?
Thanks everyone for sharing about this book, it has been a real blessing!
Theology is a system of religious beliefs or ideas; the study of religion; and literally means the "Study of God" - so it seems like there is a bit of theology going on as they are studying God, who He is, what is He about, etc.
Religion is the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power; especially a personal God or gods - it's a particular system of faith or worship.
I think GMacD tactfully skirts around both, while still allowing us to think about theology.
He is a thoughtful and tactful writer, while allowing his readers to begin to think about who God is and how He affects our lives.
A great read, looking forward to the next volume! In the meantime, keep safe and healthy!