The goal of this blog is to continue our conversation of
Mere Christianity, but move away from the bigger, theoretical questions and into the more personal sphere. About half of Lewis' book deals with the former, but the other half gets into the very real business of what it looks like to wake up every day and try to live for Christ. Therefore:
Identify a quote from the book that has impacted you on a personal level. What points in here made you think differently about God? About your faith? About your choices? About yourself? Provide a quote from the book in your blog and use that to springboard into a reflection about how the quote impacts you on a personal level. Ideally, I'd love for you to cover ground that we haven't yet had time to go over in class, but if one of those points we've discussed already has prompted the most reflection for you, it's fine to discuss that at greater length.
If you need an example, there's one below. If you're ready to go, have at it!
Example:
What Tremendous Things
A favorite quote from "Nice People versus New People":
We must not be surprised [as Christians] if we are in
for a rough time. When a man turns to
Christ and seems to be getting on pretty well (in the sense that some of his
bad habits are now corrected) he often feels that it would now be natural if
things went fairly smoothly. When
troubles come along—illnesses, money troubles, new kinds of temptation—man is
disappointed. These things, he feels,
might have been necessary to rouse him and make him repent in his bad old days;
but why now? Because: God is forcing him
on, or up, to a higher level: putting him into situations where he will have to
be very much braver, or more patient, or more loving, than he ever dreamed of
being before. It seems to us all
unnecessary: but that is because we have not yet had the slightest notion of
the tremendous things He means to make of us.
Ironically, this quote posits essentially the same concept as the "everything happens for a reason" idea, but somehow, Lewis explains it in a way that I can more readily appreciate.
Throughout
Mere Christianity, Lewis brings us back, time and again, to the concept of our eternal selves. On page 92, he reminds us that every choice somehow shapes the central part of us-- the part that chooses-- and that each choice propels us towards being either a hellish creature or a heavenly creature. These two ideas put together have led me to consider that maybe life events are really only incidental-- maybe the point of life is to walk through terrain (whatever terrain required) which will ultimately shape our souls. We as humans tend to focus on circumstances, on whether or not we feel happy, on
whether or not things are going well according to our standards. And why
wouldn't we? We're evaluating our lives based on how well we understand living.
But I'm not sure the question we should be asking ourselves is, "Does this make
me happy?" Rather, I think the question we should be asking ourselves is, "What
is this doing to the condition of my soul?"
Yesterday in chapel, I admitted that I often struggle with fear. In an effort to make myself feel secure, I have historically tried to control myself, and the people in my life-- pounding "shoulds" into us all. But: when my fists clutch, what happens to the condition of my soul? Fear starts
calling the shots instead of the Holy Spirit. A hiss in my ear convinces me that
God is NOT in control, and I have to do the job for Him. Anxiety inflames; my
peace slips away. I find myself building towers
on my own, trying to construct a facade of safety. In those moments, the
condition of my soul is horribly anxious and confined. I am listening more to
the voices of darkness than the voices of light. Furthermore-- how do my demands
affect other people? Rather than letting others pursue their own paths, under
the shepherding of their watchful Lord, I try to play shepherd myself, and
frankly-- probably do my best to get in God's way. How are others' opportunities
to learn and experience God's plan impeded? How do my actions affect the
conditions of THEIR souls?
To me, this realization deepens and enriches
moments of exultation-- but it also gives meaning to what would seem like
senseless tragedy. We ask
why, because we are looking at the shambles around us.
But the question isn't about those broken pieces; how many passages in the Bible
remind us that this life is fleeting, that those things fade? What DOESN'T fade?
Our eternal bits. And NOTHING mortal about us will last or persevere unless it
knits itself with the eternal, resurrecting life of Christ. Feelings run out.
Security runs out. Human reliability runs out. Health runs out. True: healing,
faithfulness, safety, and true love can sweep in but if they're going to last, I
believe they still must come from The Eternal Source. Our thoughts then, MUST be
towards what is happening to the eternal parts of us. I must ask:
what is happening to the condition of my soul?
We scrutinize the dirt under our fingernails; the rain on the backs of our
necks; the numbers in the gradebook. We care about the details. He cares about
the details too I think-- but only insofar as they draw us to Him. Ultimately,
He looks at the blazing, churning souls within us. He looks at the eternity we
are becoming-- and if we give Him His way, He will do whatever necessary to make
sure we become the tremendous things He's envisioned.
