They sought to preserve the best of Christian classical learning and philosophy. In all of this they hoped to lift up the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ against the chaos spreading across Europe. Focused by an urgent and intense need to engage and preserve the culture, understanding that this was the only way to spread the gospel, these bold Irish monks ran right at this daunting challenge and saved European civilization. We read about another hinge of history in the biblical story of David and Goliath. The Israelites are confronted by the loud and presumptuous Philistines, another crude force that threatens to snuff out the light of Jewish culture.
Fear is in the air.
This was indeed a hinge point. Just then a new and unlikely voice speaks up. Curious, full of energy, skilled and competent, naively bold, shaped by memory, empowered by a new perspective on reality, David steps up to the challenge. His boldness is fresh, nothing less than breathtaking. Go with skill to be sure.