Dear George MacDonald,
I write with great joy to you. I've read a lot in my life as I'm born a bookworm. Books were my escape and my survival, guided me through the war of my childhood into the land of Truth, into His Land, the Land of our dear Christ you love so much.
Your books are to me invaluable.
No matter if it is your fairy tales, your sermons, prayers, poems, you bring goodness into the world. The Goodness of our dear Lord. You do not waver, did not give in to fashion, public opinions, so called 'demandings of the time', not even to the demanding of 'making a living'.
You just followed faithfully, deeply humble, with humour and unwavering trust the path to fulfill His Will. Your life was not easy, in material things you and your family were poor. But in the things which only count, which only last, which only have any worth you were rich beyond our nowadays imagination.
The goodness which speaks from your words, the decency, truthfulness, sincerity and beauty you gain from your earnest striving to listen to His Words and obey, is vibrant and demanding today as it was 100 years ago. It captivated me from the very beginning. Truth is told in Love and Humility, and you give all the honour and praise to Him, to Whom it belongs.
We know that your vibrant writings of truth had a major influence on C. S. Lewis (who in almost each of his books quoted you, and called you his Master!), W.H. Auden, J.R.R. Tolkien, Lewis Carroll, J. M. Barrie, C. K. Chesterton, Mark Twain, E. Nesbit and many others. I found you because of C. S. Lewis calling you "my master", and I wanted to know, who that could be as I liked the writings of Lewis.
Your fruits are healthy, strong, vibrant. They are not only growing yet also utmost healthy and nourishing in the right sense. They help to build the unshakable healthy base for a striving human being.
Each of your texts demands of me to improve, to learn, to understand, to strive wholeheartedly and tirelessly, to recognize and live His Will. And show me that there is Goodness in the world, because Christ is in the world.
True Goodness, His Goodness is what you show this world. And that is what is needed to counterpart our materialism, egotism, intellectualism and fear. I definitely need it. It helps me keep on going with joy and thankfulness, because it is the truth. To look into my own heart, my own being and there improve as far as I am able to - that is what your words tell me. And what really is necessary and what only counts to me.
"You will tell me, some of you, that I am always beating that anvil - that obedience to Christ is Christianity. Let me die insisting upon it. For my Lord insists upon it. And I have come to understand that it is true. It is not enough to do a thing even because Jesus Christ tells you. You must obey Him, and then you will know it to be true. And you will know that He said it because it was true. And you have learned it or you are mere hangers-on of the kingdom of heaven.”
~George MacDonald from the sermon 'Know Christ'
Your message is heart, dear friend. Thank you so much!
—Dagmar Dederichs, in the eve of my life blessed with such a treasure
A Letter to George MacDonald