I must be getting old. I find I can now sit down and read and enjoy high-brow intellectual, philosophical, God-consciousness books and get a lot of good out of them. It probably has something to do with me being ill with what might be a catastrophic illness and thinking about mortality. Don’t get me wrong, if I go, I know where I’m going, and I’m at peace with that. If I stay it’s because there is more work for me to do, people to help, God to serve.

There was a time, say 20 years ago, when I couldn’t read an author like Joseph Campbell because he was just too over my head in comparative mythology, religion and big words.

When the pupil is ready the teacher will appear.

I was searching through my library looking for some books I had read quite some time ago, because I was considering writing a book sort of like the ones I was looking for. I finally found them. The author is Marilynne Robinson. She taught at the Writer’s Workshop at the University of Iowa, and earned a Pulitzer Prize for “Gilead” back in 2005. “Gilead” is a mythical town in Iowa close to Tabor. At the time, I couldn’t even pronounce “Gilead.” I was saying “Gi-lead.” An educated friend told me the correct pronunciation, “Gilly-Ad.” For a little background, Gilead is also referenced in the Bible as well as the book and movie,”The Handmaid’s Tale,” written by Margaret Atwood.

Anywho, Robinson’s fictional books, which are some of the best fiction I’ve ever read, are “Gilead,” “Jack,” “Housekeeping,” “Home” and “Lila.” In addition to the Pulitzer Prize, Robinson has won a slew of awards, like Seabiscuit and his blue ribbons. I had read “Gilead,” “Housekeeping” and “Home” back when Robinson won the Pulitzer. So I read them again. “Jack” and “Lila” were new to me, so I read them also. I am stunned by her writing.

Then I happened to notice on my Kindle that Robinson also has a number of philosophical books. They include “Reading Genesis,” “What Are We Doing Here? Essays,” “Absence of Mind,” “When I Was a Child I Read Books,” “The Givenness of Things: Essays,” “Mother Country: Britain, the Welfare State and Nuclear Pollution,” “Absence of Mind: The Dispelling of Inwardness from the Modern Myth,” and “Death of Adam.” Robinson is the author of more than sixty books, and is also a well known public speaker, lecturer and teacher. She even teaches Sunday School. Can you imagine being in her class?

What the heck? Nothing ventured nothing gained. With nervous fingers I selected several of the philosophical books, judging by their title. I chose “Reading Genesis,” “What Are We Doing Here? Essays,” and “Death of Adam.” Wow, I was blown away. It’s tough reading, but oh so educational and well written. How can a famous fiction writer also be an expert in philosophy and religion? It’s a gift.

Here’s some of her quotes I’ll use as teasers: “humankind are a family. Ultimately they share a common descent, a common nature, a common enjoyment of God’s grace in His covenant with all flesh.” “man’s free will depends not on his own free will and acts but was predestined from the beginning,” “Biblical anthropology begins with an exalted conception of humanity, then ponders our errors and deficiencies and our capacities for grace and truth, within the world of meaningful freedom created for them by an omnipotent God,” and “the soul of the poorest child is of equal dignity with the soul of Adam.”

I’m kind of thinking that with all this downtime I’m having due to physical illness, I was led to these books. I needed exposure to the history of religion and God’s plans for us, more so than what I was getting from daily Bible reading. Everything happens for a reason. I’m pleased that my mind is still sharp and creative, and I can be at peace with the world, come what may. Robinson’s books help with that.

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Have a good story? Call or text Curt Swarm in Mt. Pleasant at 319-217-0526 or email him at curtswarm@yahoo.com. Curt is available for public speaking.