The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 2845 by Angharad Copyright© 2015 Angharad

---

This is a work of fiction any mention of real people, places or institutions is purely coincidental and does not imply that they are as suggested in the story.
*****

“Ah, Lady Cameron, just the person said a familiar voice. I turned to face her hoping I didn’t flinch too much. “You look tired.”

“Had to do some teaching as well as my admin, got two staff off sick.”

“I still enjoy teaching when I have to do it, not that I do very much these days.”

“Yes, an hour and half each of evolution and taxonomy.”

“Which d’you prefer?”

“Well evolution sort of develops itself and taxonomy, well that’s classified.”

She looked at me for a moment before the penny dropped. She chuckled for a moment then added, “You’re too sophisticated for me. I prefer simple jokes like the Catholic priest and the rabbi...”

“I never tell jokes, I always get the punchline wrong if I remember it at all. So I do word plays and puns.”

“Some of which are too clever for a non scientist like me.”

“Those weren’t, surely?”

“No, well it took me a moment to remember that taxonomy was about classification.”

“Okay, I’d better find my girls and get them home.”

“Ah could I have a word about...?” She led me into her office. “Trish has been quoting Professor Pagels and Professor Ehrhard.” Oh dear, was it me or was the room getting hot? “She took Sister Virginia to task about the virgin birth asking why it was mentioned in some gospels and not others.”

“She’s a prolific reader.”

“Yes, but is she reading age appropriate material?”

“Well apart from the crucifixion and the virgin birth, there’s relatively little sex and violence in either of those authors—unless it’s what happened to some of the early Christians or what they did to others when they got the chance.”

“It was a long time ago, things are different today.”

“Not that different or the church wouldn’t oppose same sex marriage.”

“They follow the biblical tradition.”

“But the bible has been changed so many times.”

“It was divinely inspired.”

“Was it, or carefully edited to toe the official line?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“I’m sure you do because I suspect you know your bible and also would know that Paul sent women missionaries to represent him, yet in Acts he’s supposed to have suggested that women should remain silent and have babies or some such thing.”

“I’m sure he had his reasons.”

“Rubbish, he didn’t write Acts, somebody else did and used his name.”

“I’m sure the ancient fathers of the church had reasons for their selection.”

“Exactly, controlling women to the extent of virtually writing them out of the hierarchy and portraying what they wanted to of some poor Palestinian Jew who was killed for annoying the establishment, which he thought would be destroyed within a generation. He was wrong.”

“People misunderstand God’s sense of time.”

“Or change their interpretation when they appear to be wrong, to the extent that if viewed rationally it’s ludicrous.”

“To some. Anyway, back to Trish.”

“I thought we agreed my children wouldn’t have to do scripture.”

“They don’t but she and Livvie turn up every time and she either undermines the teacher or confuses them.”

“She is ten years old, how can that happen?”

“Some of our teachers are getting older and lose that cutting edge element of teaching. Trish has possibly the fastest mind in the school, she’s two steps ahead and lays traps for them, then walks them into her traps. They can’t cope with her.”

“You want me to remove her?”

“I hope that won’t be necessary but please have a word with her and she is barred from scripture lessons from now on. If she attends them again I’ll have no alternative but to punish her with detention.”

“I’ll give her the message.”

“Thank you. Look, I’m sorry that it’s come to this.”

“So am I, the others are doing quite well in the more academic subjects.”

“You don’t think study of the holy scriptures is academic?”

“Not from what you’re telling me. It looks like it’s devotional rather than objective or historical.”

“We give an introduction to the history of the New Testament.”

“I suspect Trish has done that herself and more fully than you are comfortable with, isn’t that the truth?”

“Sister Virginia has gone sick since her lesson with Trish, she has a broken heart and that ten year old has caused her to have a crisis of faith.”

“I’m sure she didn’t mean either of those things to happen; she just gets the bit between her teeth and off she goes. It happens at home sometimes.”

“But at least you are there to control her, you’re clever enough to stop her, alas Sister Virginia isn’t.”

“I’ll deal with it.”

“Thank you.”

The children mysteriously appeared moments later and I took them home. Once there I took Trish to my study and closed the door. “Why are you attending scripture classes?”

“I enjoy them.”

“I don’t believe you, you said the nun who taught them was so ill informed you often had to put her right.”

Trish went rather red. “I didn’t—not always.”

“Did you know that Sister Virginia has gone sick after your humiliation of her this morning and she’s also having a crisis of faith.”

“Good, not that she’s ill, but maybe she’ll think about what she teaches in future.”

“What if she has a stroke and dies? Will you feel so superior then?”

“She won’t will she?”

“I have no idea. You are banned from scripture classes from now on, go to the library instead.”

“But I was likely to get a good GCSE in it.”

“You can study it by yourself if you want to do it that much.”

“Won’t be so much fun.”

“Without humiliating the nuns you mean?”

“Uh,” she grinned and blushed a deep crimson.

“But they talk such crap.”

“They might, but they’re still your teachers and as such should be treated with respect.”

“I’d respect them if they knew what they were doing.”

“Perhaps they say the same about you.”

“Eh?”

“Knowledge isn’t wisdom.”

“It is.”

“No it isn’t. Knowledge is simply being aware of a set of facts. Wisdom comes from understanding the context of the facts, of that knowledge and knowing how to interpret or evaluate or apply those facts.”

“What about the Gnostics—they knew, that’s what it means, they knew.”

“I’m well aware of what it means.”

“Weren’t they wise as well?”

“Not necessarily. What they termed knowledge was having had a profound experience and being able to use that to further their understanding, except that it doesn’t. Profound experiences can show insight but they can also spoil things for later when the desire is more about repeating the experience than applying the knowledge.”

“I don’t understand the difference.”

“Now you’re showing a degree of knowing.”

“I am?”

“Yes, the limitations of your knowledge. It’s the foundation of wisdom.”

“Oh great.”

“Before you do your homework tonight you will write a draft of a letter to Sister Virginia apologising for making her ill and hoping she is better soon.”

“Can’t I just stop going to her classes?”

“You aren’t going back to her classes but you’re still going to write that letter of apology and if it isn’t good enough you’ll keep writing them until it is good enough. Off you go.”

She rose from the chair. “I didn’t mean to make her ill, it was just a bit of fun to lighten up the lesson.”

“Go and write that letter, let me see the draft before you write it properly.”

She slunk off looking very sorry for herself. It wasn’t what she did that annoyed me it was how she did it. She could have shown her knowledge more gently not brutally like she did. She has to learn how to balance her huge intellect with compassion. I hope I’m up to helping her.