Merlin on God's Light - from Mary Stewart's The Crystal Cave©

Some of my favorite books are by Mary Stewart. She wrote a 4-book series telling the Merlin & Arthur legend from the perspective of Merlin. At the end of the first book - The Crystal Cave© - Merlin arranges for the conception of Arthur through Uther & Ygraine. It is a difficult night, but filled with a new bright star in the sky, and portent. Three men died in the night's work, and Uther challenges Merlin as to the depth and cost of working the will of God. Merlin replies (Mithras is the god of soldiers in the old religion):

"It is God who keeps the price secret, Uther, not I."

"God? God? What god? I have heard you speak of so many gods. If you mean Mithras-"

"Mithras, Apollo, Arthur, Christ - call him what you will," I said. "What does it matter what men call the light? It is the same light, and men must live by it or die. I only know that God is the source of all the light which has lit the world, and that his purpose runs through the world and past each one of us like a great river, and we cannot check or turn it, but can only drink from it while living, and commit our bodies to it when we die."

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