Here is a paragraph from C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity about good works. It resonated so strongly with me- if I had to sum up everything I've been learning this last year about God and Christianity in a paragraph, this would be it. This is what Narnia is for me.
"I think all Christians would agree with me if I said that though Christianity seems at first to be all about morality, all about duties and rules and guilt and virtue, yet it leads you on, out of all that, into something beyond. One has a glimpse of a country where they do not talk of those things, except perhaps as a joke. Every one there is filled full with what we should call goodness as a mirror is filled with light. But they do not call it goodness. They do not call it anything. They are not thinking of it. They are too busy looking at the source from which it comes."
19 comments:
That is really good. Most Striking to me is the last couple of sentences . . . Wow!
narnia...
i love that paragraph. i've probably read it four hundred times if i've read it once.
to see lewis' vision of heaven, "the great divorce" is astoundingly beautiful.
i think morality cannot be the first thing we lead people in to christianity on.
"okay, you can be a christian....but you're going to have to give up that..."
we have to explain that to them, but it isn't going to come first. that's going to be judgmental.
i think.
I agree with you Sam. Though any way you put it God's the one doing the saving, but through us He saves. (please don't bring up free will) And so we can't aproch with the attitude "okay, you can be a christian....but you're going to have to give up that..." because it does sound very judgmental. You want to show people how loving and forgiving God is. Once they know God, He will show them what ought not to be done - through His word, and through the church. It's hard not to be proud in the knowledge and wisdom that God has given you as a christian; but it's not impossible. Just let God do the talking, it will all work out that way.
Tell me more about Narnia Sam... from your point of view.
hum, i didn't even think about it in that way. very good points though!
It hit me more because I've spent my whole life trying to be good and trying to make others be good. And it's killed me, so many times. First because I was so terribly depressed about how un-good the world really is, and how nobody can be depended on to be good, and then much more vividly because I can't do it. I can't be good, no matter how hard I try, and worse than not being able to do good I'm not good. If that makes any since. I'm actually intrinsically evil, and even if I do manage to do some sort of good it doesn't change that I'm intrinsically evil.
God isn't about making people do good. He's about making people good. After spending so much time asking him to help me respect my mom or get good grades it's such a releif to realize I can actually ask him to make me love her and make me diligent.
God's in the buisness of swapping our hearts for new ones and conforming our natures, giving us total makeovers if we let him. It's so cool...
Wow Em, that's amazing! I never really thought about the difference between doing good for God and asking Him to make me good for Him.
Guess what?!? I ordered Mere Christianity and the Screwtape Letters in one book last week, and it should be here in a few days!!! only, I think I've read most of Mere Christianity between you and Sam.....lol. so, how many books can I smuggle into my suitcase for vacation?.....
it took me a long time to learn that, and i'm still learning that--wonderful, emily.
it's unfortunate to see how much the schools and churches of our society try to fix symptoms when there are a number of essential problems back at the heart of the matter. they're problems with perspective.
this is why i believe in ground-up changing people, rather than grabbing authority. you may be able to change actions with power (see: farenheit 451, 1984, the giver) but you will never be able to change hearts.
jesus did not come in a position of power, he refused to take power in the wilderness when satan offered it to him.
Sometimes I like to keep quiet and listen to what other people say.
You guys are so great! I agree with everything that was said.
When we witness to somebody, we can't have a 'Holier than thou' attitude. Because when we come up to somebody and say "You have a terminal illness and I have the cure for you!" they would be like "I don't have any illness, I feel fine! Get away from me!" We first need to show them in a loving way the symptoms of the illness. And we also need to do it humbly because we used to have that illness too! There is no place for pride when witnessing to anybody. After showing them they have a illness is when we show them there is a cure. During the bible study that I go to on Wednesdays, we were just talking about this subject.
It is so humbling to think that we are totally and completely incapable of doing any kind of good. It is against our sinful nature. Any good that is done, is from God. We should NEVER take pride in any of our good works because they are not our good works. Which is why we need to give God all the glory.
Did you actually read fahrenheit 451 Sam?
Yeah, Jesus already had the power, but He refused to take advantage of it...He should always be our number one example.
yes, i read farenheit 451. it was hecka bomb. soo good.
i love his writing.
you're kidding.
well, here goes. What is the What. You loved it, so I'll probably hate it.
but Mere Christianity and the Screwtape Letter came!
how can two people agree on so much and so little at the same time?
okay...somebody make a new post please!!!
Where did everybody go?
Hurray for Smike and somebody make a new post!
I would if I could, but I don't know how! Will somebody please tell how to post on the village square, please?
*exasperated* SAM...can you add Lucy or does Anna have to do that?
See Lucy, it's the Boyds who started it...so I can't add you. but...sam?
We seriously need a new post here, but I have nothing to write about (that is worthy for this blog that is)
I can't log in right now....
dup de du...SAM!!!!!
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