Surprised by Oxford

by Carolyn Weber

“I feel as if I still, in spite of grace, fall so short,” I said, leaning into her. “Grace takes a lifetime to really grasp,” Regina responded. “And then some. In fact, most of us don’t ever ‘get it’ fully, I think.” She stood up, taking the books and setting them back on the shelf. “But even the crumbs from His table are enough.” She sighed as she lovingly brushed the spine of Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning. “Caro, hopefully your time at Oxford will ignite a lifelong cultivation of self-discernment resulting in social service, whether it be to a single child, or a nation full of people. Your education here has included your conversion, or, put better, your conversion has marked the beginning of your real education. Your time here has not only honed your intellect, but hopefully it has contributed to the shaping of your spirit, so that as you now walk off your ‘ledge of familiarity,’ you will also be able to walk with those you meet every day, ranging from their own issues to grave suffering and social injustice. It’s like sharing your last crumb of bread when starving in a concentration camp.” She turned to look at me keenly. “People assume that our dignity only lies in our choices, in what we think we so powerfully will and wield. But it can reside in our reactions, too, in our decisions about how to respond.” She walked over to me and opened the drawer of the bedside table. “But here is what I recommend you read now, to relax and get a good night’s sleep.” She...