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Enchantment
In his essay "On Fairy Stories", J.R.R. Tolkien draws a distinction between "magic" and "enchantment". The distinction is subtle, and I don't have a copy handy, but very roughly, magic is about making things happen, and enchantment is about art, about making experiences happen (and is what elves do).
I don't know if I believe in magic.
I do know that I believe in enchantment.
Occasionally I'm reminded that I'm already pretty good at it, too.
See, I have this hobby. I seek out people who share my sense of wonder, I befriend them, and, when it seems to me that they are in need of spiritual sustenance, I say: "You know, your sense of wonder can be used as a spiritual life. The joy and meaning that you feel in nifty things, in beautiful things, and especially in sharing them, can support you just like any other kind of faith."
I try not to get too attached to the hope that someone's life will be changed by hearing this from me — after all, who am I, and what is my wisdom, compared to that of the truly wise? And then someone will thank me for sharing that vision with them, and I will remember what, exactly, I'm supposed to be doing here.
I don't know if I believe in magic.
I do know that I believe in enchantment.
Occasionally I'm reminded that I'm already pretty good at it, too.
See, I have this hobby. I seek out people who share my sense of wonder, I befriend them, and, when it seems to me that they are in need of spiritual sustenance, I say: "You know, your sense of wonder can be used as a spiritual life. The joy and meaning that you feel in nifty things, in beautiful things, and especially in sharing them, can support you just like any other kind of faith."
I try not to get too attached to the hope that someone's life will be changed by hearing this from me — after all, who am I, and what is my wisdom, compared to that of the truly wise? And then someone will thank me for sharing that vision with them, and I will remember what, exactly, I'm supposed to be doing here.
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