I think the urgent value in these powerful books so compelling to the children is our constant exploration with them of the evolution of human consciousness and values, the progression of social transformations, and the application of all of that to each of their young hearts and minds, as well as to the beloved and collaborative community within which they are developing and educating themselves.
My early elementary children loved these books. We said these were the old ways of thinking, living, and solving problems. We today are doing our best to grow into a new way of living, a better way, but we still haven’t figured it all out or outgrown our addiction to violent solutions. We are still reacting to one another instead of responding. We are still living by vengeance and reward and punishment. We need many, many more Montessori schools all around the world.
And we also discussed with frequency and in depth: are the Greek Gods real? They were real to the Greeks. They are real in imagination and dreams. They are not the same kind of real as a table or a tree. There are many kinds of real, many kinds of truth. Symbols, folk tales, mythology, stories, fairy tales, poetry, parables, allegories, etc.; all hold great truths. What they teach is real. Through them we explore and contemplate, speculate and wonder, to elaborate over time our very own story. Through them we seek out meaning, pursue purpose, and create our goal and how to aim our daily lives toward it. Through them we grieve the old ways, mourn for humanity today, and work toward a new humanity and a new society capable of veering toward a just peace.
Without these ongoing and passionate discussions, these books simply feed an addiction to violence.