Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Virtues and Vices in Our Vocations

Vocation can be both an exciting and intimidating word to think about. Right now for us at Calvin and colleges all over the world, the world seems to be right at our fingertips and yet impossible to conquer in any way, shape, or form. Calvin College focuses a lot of their freshman orientation courses around this issue. They use Prelude, Quest, and now the Developing a Christian Mind interim course to help prepare us for our current vocation as a student and our later vocations in the “real world”.  When I saw that an interim course was offered on C.S. Lewis, I was immediately interested. I had read a few books, essays, and poems by Lewis, and was captivated by his writing. I wanted to learn more. Taking this class not only expanded the array of pieces that I have read by Lewis, but it also challenged me to think about my life in ways that I had never done before. One aspect in particular that Lewis touched a lot on in the essays that I read was about the vocation that we are going to have throughout our lives. He talked about the importance of a good education, what we need to do during our lives to show that we are Christians, and also the ways that the devil might try to hinder us in our vocations. In the book entitled Engaging God’s World, Neil Plantinga also talks about what it means to have a vocation in the kingdom of God. Both Plantinga and Lewis helped me in my understanding of how I will fit in my vocation and how I can use it to glorify God.

“Learning in War-Time” was a sermon preached in the fall of 1939, which was right at the beginning of World War II. Lewis addressed many issues about wartime in this sermon; however, his points should not be taken into consideration only in times of war between countries. They can also be used in our lives as we are at war with the devil. Two specific issues that Lewis addresses include both how important the pursuit of knowledge is and also how any kind of service and work is accepted by God, as long as it is used to glorify Him. Regarding the pursuit of knowledge, Lewis says that this pursuit is vital, no matter what situation or dark time people are surrounded by: “If men had postponed the search for knowledge and beauty until they were secure the search would never have begun” (Lewis, Learning in War Time). He also says that knowledge is vital for glorifying God: “We can therefore pursue knowledge as such, and beauty, as such, in the sure confidence that by so doing we are either advancing to the vision of God ourselves or indirectly helping others to do so” (Lewis, Learning in War-Time). Lewis also makes it clear that God accepts any services as long as they are presented in the right way. Paraphrasing 1 Corinthians 12, he says, “We are members of one body, but differentiated members, each with his own vocation” (Lewis, Learning in War-Time). This sermon helped assure me that no matter what road I take in my career path, it will be pleasing to God as long as I offer whatever I do to God. Lewis also emphasized the importance of a good education, which makes me even more confident in my choice to go to Calvin college to pursue a higher degree.

Plantinga also talks about the importance of education in chapter five of his book entitled Engaging God’s World. He said, “Your college education is meant to prepare you for prime citizenship in the kingdom of God” (Plantinga 117). What I found to be most relevant was what he said about using our vocation to better God’s kingdom: “Successful living depends especially on fitting our small kingdom inside God’s big kingdom, always recalling where we got our dominion in the first place” (Plantinga 108). This visual picture gives me comfort. When there is so much hurt in the world, it often seems impossible to be able to make a difference. Plantinga reassures us, however, that whatever role we play in the world, it will be used in God’s much greater plan to bring God’s kingdom and shalom on earth as it is in heaven.

On a slightly different note than the importance of education, Lewis also gives some warnings about what can happen throughout our lives and our vocation. In the essay entitled “The Inner Ring,” Lewis talks about how we tend to always want to be part of an exclusive circle. Our world looks down on outsiders, and our human nature is such that we naturally want to be included. Lewis says that the Inner Rings themselves are not dangerous, but the desire to be in them is where the problem lies. He says, “As long as you are governed by that desire you will never get what you want...Until you conquer the fear of being an outsider, an outsider you will remain” (Lewis, The Inner Ring). This really hit home for me. I find myself always fighting to be in an inner ring. Once I feel like I’ve gotten into one, the desire to get into another exclusive circle eats away at me until I get into that one. Lewis says that this is true for all ages: “In many men’s lives at all periods between infancy and extreme old age, one of the most dominant elements is the desire to be inside the local Ring and the terror of being left outside” (Lewis, The Inner Ring). I think that as I go through my life, I will need to remember what Lewis said in this article. In my vocation, there will be many rings surrounding me that I may want to get into: people who make more money than I do, people who have more education, people who have a more stable job. Lewis challenges us by saying the only way to conquer these exclusive rings is by not desiring to be in them. We need to be content with who we are, even if we feel like an outsider. Only then will we be truly free to live the life that God intended us to live.

Another danger that Lewis warns us about is found in his book, The Screwtape Letters. In  Chapter twelve, the human that the devils are trying to lead to Hell is becoming stagnant in his religious life. Screwtape says, “As long as he retains externally the habits of a Christian he can still be made to think of himself as one who has adopted a few new friends and amusements but whose spiritual state is much the same as it was six weeks ago” (Lewis, Chapter XII). In this, Lewis is pointing out that often the problem with Christians lies where they do not realize what is happening. He says, “Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one-the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts” (Lewis, Chapter XII). This is something that I definitely do not want happening in my life as I go through my vocation. I do not want my career, vocation, and life as a Christian to become stagnant. I know that it is so easy to fall into a routine, and especially when the months grow into years, it is a natural tendency to start falling into a mundane aspect on life. This is exactly what the devil wants. On the other hand, God wants us to live our lives with a passion for Him, and to do our work with joy and with a purpose for glorifying God. This is what I want. I want to wake up every morning with the joy that I get to live out my vocation to give God the glory He deserves, and also to better His kingdom, even by just a little bit. I have to be thankful of the blessings that God has so richly poured over me; that may be the only way to conquer the “stagnant” life that Lewis talks about.

Lewis wanted his readers to be prepared in many ways. He wanted them to get a good education in order to have a desire to pursue knowledge, and he also wanted them to be prepared for what the devil could throw at them in order to hinder their desire for bettering the Kingdom of God. We have been given an awesome opportunity to glorify God through our vocations; both in the work that we do and also through our actions so that others may question why we do and say what we do.  A verse that came to my mind when Reading Lewis‘ essays comes from 1 Peter 3:15-16: "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander." This challenge is more easily said than done; however, I think that as image-bearers of Christ we have been blessed the chance to show others what the love of God looks like. Lewis was able to do this beautifully in his writing, but we can be image-bearers in whatever vocation we are in. If we work at our vocation to the best of our abilities and also bring the glory right back to God,  we can be confident that He will tell us, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Show & Tell

I know this post is quite late, but I remembered that we needed to blog about our show and tell. What I shared on in class was about chapter 12 of Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. The patient seemed to be at a standstill in his faith. It hadn't been improving or getting stronger for the past six weeks, and he seemed to be getting in a routine where nothing happened. This reminded me of the song called "The Motions" by Matthew West. Its lyrics are:

This might hurt
It’s not safe
But I know that I’ve gotta make a change
I don’t care
If I break
At least I’ll be feeling something
‘Cause just ok
Is not enough
Help me fight through the nothingness of life

I don’t wanna go through the motions
I don’t wanna go one more day
Without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don’t wanna spend my whole life asking
What if I had given everything?
Instead of going through the motions

Both this song and the chapter are a really powerful reminder to me to not let my heart grow stagnant. I want to live out my life with a passion and excitement for Christ, and not get into a rhythm where I don't realize the countless blessings that God has so graciously given me.

The Problem of Pain

The Problem of Pain is a book that was written by C.S. Lewis, and we focused on the chapter entitled "Human Pain". This chapter was a bit overwhelming to me at first, but in a nutshell, I believe that Lewis was talking about human suffering. This is a different kind of suffering that happens when we encounter some sort of physical discomfort; rather, it's the ache we feel when something is unjust, or someone we loved has been harmed, or a dear friend/relative has passed away. Lewis says in this chapter how pain can both be a blessing, and also be a terrible thing due to a fallen world. In the last sentence of the chapter, Lewis says, "The Marxist thus finds himself in real agreement with the Christian in those two beliefs which Christianity paradoxically demands--that poverty is blessed and yet ought to be removed." Lewis also talks a lot in this chapter how ultimately, no matter what happens, we must turn to God in a time of pain. We absolutely cannot get through the pain we endure without Him.

This chapter had many great topics in it; however, it seems nearly impossible to talk about every issue it addresses. I'm going to talk about one specific topic that I thought Lewis wrote about beautifully and very relevantly. He used his own experiences to talk about what happens when one experiences pain. He said that he is normally "progressing along the path of life in [his] ordinary contentedly fallen and godless condition." He is content with what he has, and is comfortable plodding through life. When pain strikes, however, everything changes. He says, "At first I am overwhelmed, and all my little happinesses look like broken toys." He goes on to say, "I remind myself that all these toys were never intended to possess my heart, that my true good is in another world and my only real treasure is Christ." He then says that he turns to God for about forty-eight hours, until the initial threat of the pain is over. Then once life gets back to normal, he forgets about how much he needed God and goes back to his normal life.

I believe this happens too much in our lives. We only cry out to God in our lowest moments, and when we realize how much we truly need Him. As soon as the pain subsides a little bit, we get back into our daily routines of life and don't realize how blessed we truly are. This seems like a very dangerous mindset, yet all too common. I think that the only way we can combat this is if we try to remember that God has been with us at every moment, and will continue to be with us everywhere we go. If we realize this and thank God for every high and low moment, we may have a closer and more beautiful relationship with Christ than ever before.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Man or Rabbit?

The title of this essay at first confused me, and left me in suspense until almost the very end of the reading. This article talked about the difference between unintentionally ignorant people, and people who choose to be ignorant about Christianity. He is mainly addressing the question, "Can't you lead a good life without believing in Christianity?" He first tells the distinction between those who are in 'honest error' like Socrates and Confucius, who could not believe in Christianity because they never had heard of Christianity before. However, he says that the person who asks if they can live a good life without Christianity obviously has heard of Christianity but does not want any part of it. In regards to this, Lewis says, "The man who asks this question has heard of Christianity and is by no means certain that it may not be true. He is really asking, 'Need I bother about it? Mayn't I just evade the issue, just let sleeping dogs lie, and get on with being 'good?'" Lewis says that the man who does this is avoiding Christianity on purpose: "He is deliberately trying not to know whether Christianity is true or false, because he foresees endless trouble if it should turn out to be true."

Lewis then gives us a reality check: it's impossible to be good on our own efforts. He says, "The idea of reaching 'a good life' without Christ is based on a double error. Firstly, we cannot do it; and secondly, in setting up 'a good life' as our final goal, we have missed the very point of our existence." It is impossible to live our lives without Christ; only He can make us clean. The reference to the title came in when Lewis illustrated how God can help us turn into the men and women He created us to be: "All the rabbit in us is to disappear...we shall bleed and squeal as the handfuls of fur come out; and then, surprisingly, we shall find underneath it all a thing we have never yet imagined: a real Man, an ageless god, a son of God, strong, radiant, wise, beautiful, and drenched in joy." This is such a powerful image for me (and a similar illustration to the dragon image in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader). We cannot get rid of our sinful "outer shells" alone. Jesus Christ alone can help us get rid of our ugly, sinful selves to reveal the beautiful people that He created us to be.

Plantinga Chapter 5: Vocation

This chapter on vocation definitely had some points that I agreed with, and also a couple that I disagreed with. Plantinga talked a lot about how our vocation ties in with our contribution to bringing the kingdom of God. Plantinga challenges us in that we often don't want the kingdom of God, especially when everything seems to be going well for us:"When our earthly kingdoms have had a good year, we don't necessarily long for the kingdom of God to break in. We like our own setup just fine." Plantinga says that "Your kingdom come" does not mean come into existence; rather, it means, "Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven." As Americans, we often forget how much God's kingdom needs to be brought because we often have everything handed to us on a silver platter. However, as Plantinga reminds us, there are people all over the world crying out for God's kingdom to come. Plantinga says that our vocation should be our contribution to God's kingdom. I really like what Plantinga said about our kingdoms being part of God's. He says, "Successful living depends especially on fitting our small kingdom inside God's big kingdom, always recalling where we got our dominion in the first place." He goes on to describe how we are each like a king or queen in our own small "territory" but God's kingdom is overall. This gives me comfort, because I often get overwhelmed with wanting to bring the kingdom to the entire world. However, if I work at bringing God's kingdom to what I can be able to manage, it will fit inside God's much bigger plan.

Here comes my problem with what Plantinga says. Plantinga says that we need to have a higher education to be prepared to bring God's kingdom, and I agree with that. However, he also talks about the fact that the benefits to a Christian college far outweigh the benefits to a secular college. He says, "But I fear that for most Christian students mainstream higher education simply won't be adequate to help them understand the kingdom of God and their own vocation within it." He also says, "Such students will be busy with a hundred other things and won't take the time or spend the effort to sort out the good and evil in what they encounter on campus and to construct a thoughtful Christian philosophy of life on their own." Now, I have always wanted to go to a Christian college. I think that a Christian education will help to better prepare me for the rest of my life. I know that we have the rest of our lives to encounter people who are not Christians, and so a Christian college is a great preparation for that. However, that is just for me. I definitely think that there are Christians who are not called to go to a Christian college. College is a great time to witness, because although the students are adults, they are still very young and may not be as set in their ways. Also, Christians in a secular school may be challenged in their beliefs and forced to have reasons for believing what they do. Plantinga says that Christians in a secular school "will find it easier to go with the flow...sometimes unaware that they are absorbing views of the world and of life that flatly contradict the gospel." I disagree with this, because I see people going with the flow just as much at Calvin. Many of us have grown up in a Christian home, going to church all our lives, and going to Christian school. We've never been challenged in our faith because it's always been surrounding us. I believe that we too often "go with the flow" in our Christian lives, and sometimes separate our Christian lives with our social lives. I believe that a Christian college is best for me, but I definitely do not think that a Christian education is necessarily best for everyone. God's plan is different for every person.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

The Inner Ring

The Inner Ring, an essay written by C.S. Lewis, was a powerful essay written on the "inner rings" that are always present in our lives. By the inner rings, Lewis is talking about the exclusive circles that we always want to be part of. This essay didn't have anything that was necessarily a brand new idea. That is one thing that I really admire about Lewis' writing. He presents information that we already probably know, but puts it into a new light so that we are able to reflect and apply it to our own lives.

We are surrounded by many "inner rings" as Lewis describes them. We are inside some of them, and outside of others. Lewis says that we encounter these rings from the day we are born: "...in many men's lives at all periods between infancy and extreme old age, one of he most dominant elements is the desire to be inside the local Ring and the terror of being left outside." Throughout our whole lives, we are always seeking and longing for acceptance. We work so hard to get into the next, more exclusive circle. The problem, Lewis says, is not the inner rings themselves: "I am not going to say that the existence of Inner Rings is an Evil. It is certainly unavoidable." He says the problem lies in the desire we have to get into these groups: "Let Inner Rings be unavoidable and even an innocent feature of life, though certainly not a beautiful one: but what of our longing to enter them, our anguish when we are excluded, and the kind of pleasure we feel when we get in?"

Not only do we long to get into these rings, but as soon as we finally get into the ring that looks good to us, we immediately want to get into the next ring. I find I have this way too much in my own life. I play the violin, and I am always looking for the next piece that I can play. I am always comparing myself to others who play pieces that seem to be much more difficult than the one that I am currently working on. I always think that once I play and conquer a certain piece, then I'll be completely satisfied. However, it doesn't work that way. As soon as I start working on a piece, I'm already thinking about the person in the practice room next to me who's working on a cooler, more difficult piece and I want to play what they are.

How can we combat these inner rings that are so prevalent in our lives? Lewis says, "The quest of the Inner Ring will break your hearts unless you break it." He is challenging us to not pursue getting into an exclusive inner ring; however, this is much easier said than done. If we are thankful for what God has given us and are not jealous of others, this may be a step in the right direction.

Eros

In his book entitled The Four Loves, Lewis talks about four different types of love. The type of love that we read about is known as Eros, or the act of "being in love". According to Lewis, this type of love is what happens before any sexual desire happens between two people. Lewis says: "Very often what comes first is simply a delighted pre-occupation with the Beloved...A man in this state really hasn't leisure to think of sex. He is too busy thinking of a person. The fact that she is a woman is far less important than the fact that she is herself."

Lewis makes the difference between Eros and sexual desire very clear: "Sexual desire, without Eros, wants it, the thing in itself; Eros wants the beloved." I thought it was very true when Lewis talked about a lustful man wanting a woman: "Strictly speaking, a woman is just what he does not want. He wants a pleasure for which a woman happens to be the necessary piece of apparatus." He goes on to say, "Now Eros makes a man really want, not a woman, but one particular woman."


I thought that in a lot of ways, this chapter was really refreshing to read. It talked so much about how Eros is all about loving the person first before there is any sexual desire. This mindset is completely opposite and counter-cultural of today's world. All of the media claims that having sex with someone when you barely seem to know them is totally okay, and it helps you to fall in love with them. When this chapter talks about Eros, I think it's comforting to know that Lewis was trying to combat the same thing when he wrote this chapter. It seemed to be a problem back then as well. It was so great to read about "being in love" as a complete preoccupation with the person because they are who they are, not because of sexual desire. The sexual desire comes as a result of two people being in love with each other. This, I believe, is what God wanted love to be like when He created it.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Plantinga Chapter 4: Redemption

After reading Chapter 3 ("The Fall") of Plantinga's Engaging God's World, it was easy to feel down and caught up in all of my mistakes and shortcomings. However, I turned one more page and was met with a wonderful title: "Redemption". This chapter talks about the grace that God was able to give us through the death of His son, Jesus Christ. Plantinga reminds us that this had been predicted for thousands of years before Jesus was even born. One of the Bible verses in the beginning of the chapter reminds of this: "But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed." Plantinga says that although he never did anything wrong, "Jesus acted like a repentant sinner." He was baptized, he endured ridicule and accusations, and ultimately ended up dying on the cross. We deserved every bit of this but Jesus took it all.

One thing that Plantinga makes very clear is the fact that all of us have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. There aren't people who are more holy or less holy than others; we are all guilty of our sins, and so Jesus came to save each one of us because we all deserve to die. Planting says, "The world isn't divided into a sacred realm and a secular realm, with redemptive activity confined to the sacred zone. The whole world belongs to God, the whole world has fallen, and so the whole world needs to be redeemed."

Now, what can we do with this unbelievable gift that God has given us? Plantinga says, "By opening his heart to the grace of God and by striving to obey God's will, a Christian may acquire the virtues that fit a Christian life and may begin to perform the good works that flow from them." He goes on to say, "It's not that good works save anybody. It's just that they demonstrate God's saving grace in a person's life." I think that Plantinga is saying that because we've been given this gift, we need to show our thankfulness through our actions. Maybe because of our actions, people will want to know why we do the things we do, which is a perfect opportunity to share the love and the grace of Jesus Christ that we have been given. 

Learning in War-Time

Learning in War-Time was a sermon preached by C.S. Lewis in 1939, the year that World War II started. Lewis argues in this sermon that we need to pursue knowledge and become "learned" especially in a time of war. He thinks it is a religious duty and an obligation to use the gifts given to us to perform every duty we have been given.

One aspect that Lewis talked about that I really enjoyed was when he talked about using our gifts to glorify God. He said that we needed to use the gifts that we have been given, even if they don't seem very substantial. He gave the example of Beethoven versus a housemaid, and said that each is okay as long as they are done for the Lord. He paraphrased Corinthians when he said, "We are members of one body, but differentiated members, each with his own vocation."

Lewis also emphasized the importance of pursuing knowledge both for war time and in our everyday lives. He said, "If men had postponed the search for knowledge and beauty until they were secure the search would never have begun." Referring to the pursuit of knowledge, he says "An appetite for these things exists in the human mind, and God makes no appetite in vain." Lewis is arguing that God didn't make us have a thirst for knowledge for no reason; he wants us to pursue the knowledge and become learned so that we can be prepared to face the world and all that comes with it. He also says, "The learned life then is, for some, a duty." And if he says that as Christians we are supposed to fulfill our duty, then he is arguing that we need to become learned.

There are three "enemies" against scholars and the pursuit of knowledge. The first one is excitement, which can take over our emotions when we are trying to get work done. He said that during war time, "the war has not really raised up a new enemy but only aggravated an old one." He is telling people that they shouldn't get excited about something that seems to be brand new, even though it's not. The second enemy is frustration: "the feeling that we shall not have time to finish." Lewis says that we need to focus more on the present: "Never, in peace or war, commit your virtue or your happiness to the fugure. Happy work is best done by the man who takes his long-term plans somewhat lightly and works from moment to moment 'as to the Lord'." The third enemy is fear, and especially that of death. In war time, death doesn't increase (because we all end up dying eventually) but it makes us remember death and pain.

I thought this article was very interesting and insightful, and although it was written during the time of World War II, I think its ideas will always be relevant to its readers.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

The Fall

Chapter 3 of Plantinga's Engaging God's World is entitled, The Fall. What I thought was very unique about this chapter was that it began with the lyrics to the song "This is My Father's World." Plantinga goes on to explain that this song only gives the picture of the beauty in creation, and not the effects of the fall that we see. Plantinga talked about many different aspects of the fall, especially the evil that is in the world. He defines evil as "any spoiling of shalom, any deviation from the way God wants things to be." He also says that the reason God is against sin is because "God is for shalom and therefore against sin." This to me is an interesting way to think about why God doesn't like sin.

Another reason that Plantinga says God is against evil is because "evil is a kind of parasite on goodness." He also says: "Badness is twisted goodness, polluted goodness, divided goodness." This really connected me back to Lewis' article on subjectivism, and how God is wholly and completely good and is at the center of goodness. It really struck me that this is a big reason why God hates evil so much. If God is the epitome of goodness, and if evil twists, pollutes, and divides goodness, it's like doing all of those things to God himself.

It was interesting to read about corruption in people. It was especially eye-opening for me when I read about how an idolater can be defined as one who puts something at the same level of God. Normally when I think of idolatry, I think of putting something above God, but Plantinga says that it is also idolatry if we put anything alongside God. This made me look back and wonder what I put equal to God in my life. How do I actually spend all of my time, even though I know how I should be spending it all? What do I "love" that I put on an equal pedestal with God?

With all of this realization of the fall and how sinful we really are, it's such a comfort to know that we have hope. Jesus Christ died to save us from our fallen nature and all of the evil that is in and around us. What a great and unbelievable comfort we have!

The Poison of Subjectivism

The Poison of Subjectivism is an essay by C.S. Lewis that actually correlates with the first four chapters of Mere Christianity, which is also written by Lewis. Rereading and understanding again the definition of subjectivity is necessary for reading this article. The definition of subjectivity is this: "based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions." Lewis' main point in this article is that every person and group of people does have the same set of morals. Everyone knows what is good to do to your neighbor, and everyone knows what is bad to do to your neighbor. Lewis says that these moral laws have always been around and will never change: "The human mind has no more power of inventing a new value than of planting a new sun in the sky or a new primary colour in the spectrum."

It amazes me how logically and confidently Lewis is able to give the counterexamples to his argument, and then quickly show how they are unsound. He gives these counterexamples: that there are many different types of moralities, and that sticking to one moral code is turning into stagnation. He then shuts each one down quickly, each with the utmost respect, of course.

One of my favorite quotes in the essay is this: "God is not merely good, but goodness; goodness is not merely divine, but God." It really caught my attention and made me think about the fact that God is at the center of everything that is good. When we look at anything that was made good, we know who is the One behind all of it. He is bigger and better than we could ever imagine or understand. Lewis depicts this so well in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Aslan, the lion, is depicted as everything that is good in the world of Narnia. It is said of him, however, "He is not a tame lion." God is so very good, and although we will never be able to understand how (and sometimes why) he does the thing that he does, we can be confident in the fact of His full, complete goodness.

Friday, January 14, 2011

Mere Christianity

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis takes on a whole different approach to Christianity than most people had ever thought of before. Lewis takes a step back and presents Christianity in a way that is not demanding, forceful, or degrading in any way for people at all levels of their faith walk.

What was interesting to me was how Lewis started at the very basics. Instead of some blunt statement which states that Christianity is the only possible answer and anyone who thinks differently is crazy, Lewis calmly explains things such as a law of human nature, moral law, and law of decent behavior. He then logically explains how there must be a higher being, but does not rush into saying that the God of Christianity is the only choice: "Do not think I am going faster than I really am. I am not yet within a hundred miles of the God of Christian theology." In the first four chapters, Lewis logically concluded that there must be a higher being that controls the universe, because of the moral law that humans have regarding right and wrong.

These chapters really got me to think about Christianity logically. I think so often Christianity is thought of as some far fetched religion that serves a God that cannot even be seen. There is a lot of faith and trust required for Christianity, but Lewis also shows that there is also evidence that can put away doubts people have about Christianity. Lewis, with his conclusions, is coming at Christianity from the bottom up, which may satisfy even the most logical thinker. I really admire Lewis for this, because I tend to be more of a logical thinker. I have a strong faith in God and believe strongly in His existence; however, I really like it when things make sense based on reason. Lewis is able to prove that a higher being exists by logical reasoning, and these four chapters really make me want to continue reading Mere Christianity so that I can hear the rest of his explanations for him believing what he does. After all, he must have pretty strong arguments after being a devout Atheist and then being converted to Christianity.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

The Gradual Slope

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis is a book that came as a shock when it first came out. At first glance, the book seems like it is completely degrading God and Christianity. However, it does just the opposite. The entire book uses satire to get its point across: the everyday problems and sins that every human goes through. Each chapter is a letter written by Screwtape, who is a wizened old devil, who is writing to his nephew Wormwood. Wormwood is trying to secure a man's trip to Hell, and Screwtape is giving him pointers on what to do in the man's life to ensure that this will happen.

In the twelfth letter that Screwtape wrote his nephew Wormwood in The Screwtape Letters, Screwtape tells his nephew how to lead his human down the 'right' path; that is, the path to Hell. The human is a churchgoer, which Screwtape says can be perfect for leading him astray. Church and prayers are starting to become mundane, and the patient's spiritual state has been the same for the last six weeks. He's starting to notice this, and has a "dim uneasiness" about the whole thing. Screwtape says that the best thing is for nothing to change, because in this sameness, the human will start to get separated from the Enemy (God). Lewis writes, "Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one-the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts."

What a wake up call this chapter is. As Christians, are we all drifting into this sense of sameness? This chapter got me to think about my own life. My life doesn't really seem to change very much from day to day or week to week. I go to church, go to school, and do homework. I don't want to get stuck in a rut like the young man was in. I don't want to let my spiritual life be at a standstill. This chapter is such a reminder to me and to many others who read it. I want my life to reflect a newness, passion and zest for life. I always want to be in wonder of God and his new mercies for us every day. This is easier said than done, because everyone seems to get caught up in earthly things at some point in their lives. I believe that if we read our Bible as much as possible and devote specific time to prayer and worship, we may be able to avoid this from happening. We have to trust God and keep hope alive.

The Weight of Glory

The Weight of Glory was a sermon preached by C.S. Lewis on June 8, 1942, but still has an incredible impact on the world today. This sermon was packed with different topics and ideas for Christians that are incredibly challenging to comprehend. He talks about a range of things; from how people are too easily pleased to different types of glory and how Christians are to respond to the 'glory' they have been given.

When I read the quote, "We are far too easily pleased," at first I was taken aback because to me it always seemed humans are so difficult to please, because we are never happy with what we have. Instead, Lewis argues that we are "halfhearted creatures" and that we don't take up the offer which has been offered to us; that of "infinite joy." When I think about the fact that we are too easily pleased, though, it's truer than what I thought before. We get completely caught up in earthly pleasures and seem to be satisfied by them. There is such a range of pleasures; from drinking and sex to vanity and dinner parties. Whatever they are, these pleasures are only temporary and often make us blind to the eternal happiness that God has so willingly offered us.

Another point he makes is that Christians tend to think of their life as completely mercenary. If we live a mercenary based life, we are constantly thinking of the rewards that come with doing this or that. He uses the examples of marriage and a general fighting in the war. Regarding marriage he says, "Money is not the natural reward of love...but marriage is the proper reward for a real lover, and he is not mercenary for desiring it." Regarding the general, he says, "A general who fights well in order to get a peerage is mercenary; a general who fights for victory is not, victory being the proper reward of battle as marriage is the proper reward of love." Lewis also gives an example of a learning student, which is very relevant to all of us in college. We can't necessarily look forward to enjoyment of the things we are looking forward to like we can look forward to marriage or if in a war, look forward to victory. However, after a lot of studying, we will begin to enjoy what we are learning more and more and can eventually enjoy the proper reward: full enjoyment of the knowledge we have gained.

The title of "The Weight of Glory" is something that is difficult for me to wrap my mind around. The glory we have been given by God comes from the fact that he loves us and delights in us in a way that we cannot even imagine. Lewis says that we are delighted in "as an artist delights in his work or a father in a son." This glory that we are given is almost more than we can bear because we have done nothing to deserve it and are constantly proving that we are imperfect beings and are not worthy of delight. That is one thing that is so wonderful about God: we are such sinful creatures, and yet God delights in us because each one of us is His child. This brings me to another quote in this sermon: "There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal." The next time you talk to anybody, remember that each one of us is a child of God who is destined to something more than just this life on earth. Maybe we would treat others a little bit differently if we all could remember that.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Plantinga Chapter 2: Creation

In Chapter 2 of Engaging God's World, Plantinga talks about many different aspects of creation. He talks specifically how we are created to be image bearers of God. He talks about the original doctrine of creation, and also gives the reason why God created the earth and how beautifully he designed it.

One part of the chapter that I really found refreshing was Plantinga's reasoning for why God created the earth. He said, "Creation is neither a necessity nor an accident." He says that we should instead look at it more so as "creation is an act that was fitting for God." It's such a comfort to know that God created the world not because he had to, or because it was created by accident. Nothing was an accident, but was created just how he wanted it to be. When God created the world, he didn't just create the absolute necessities. He knows that humans love variety, and so he created things often just for beauty. Plantinga uses the example of apples and pears. We could survive if we had only apples and no pears, but God gave us pears for more variety and beauty in life.

Another aspect that really jumped out at me was the idea that we are the image-bearers of God. Plantinga says that the word 'image' is not only a noun, but also a verb. We are not only images of God, but we image God in what we do and say to others. He says that we are image bearers in three ways: responsible dominion over the earth, living in communion with each other, and being like Jesus in that we may suffer like he did. This last part really stuck out to me, because we often don't think of this as part of being an image bearer of Jesus. Plantinga says, "Because the Son of God dies, so must those who hope, like him, to be raised to new life." Being an image bearer of God definitely does not mean taking the easy road by any means; rather, it means taking the much more difficult road by faith.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Our English Syllabus

The syllabus that C.S. Lewis wrote for his students at Oxford was definitely not an ordinary syllabus. In this certain syllabus, he wrote about the different types of education and learning that there are. There is the education that makes one become 'fully human', and there is also the learning that happens in a particular skill that someone wants to pursue.

Lewis says that schooling is not at all just for having knowledge taught to a student. He believes that knowledge needs to be pursued. He also says that as students, we have to decide what we are really passionate about. He says, "The proper question for a freshman is not 'What will do me most good?' but 'What do I most want to know?'" He goes on to say, "For nothing that we have to offer will do him good unless he can be persuaded to forget all about self-improvement for three or four years, and to absorb himself in getting to know some part of reality, as it is in itself." In order to be a well-rounded individual, we must each have knowledge of both facts and wisdom about the world.

One part of this essay that really jumped out as me was when Lewis talked about taking more general courses not related to a student's specific major, also known as core classes. At first while reading this essay, I thought that Lewis was putting down the idea of core classes that a liberal arts college like Calvin requires their students to take. He seemed to be saying that students needed to specialize in what they wanted to learn about, and learning 'a little bit of this' or 'a little bit of that' wouldn't be helpful in the real world. However, he contradicted this later on. According to this syllabus, he believes that having core classes will build a solid foundation for the knowledge and learning that the student will pursue later on in life, and will often produce more well-rounded graduates than other colleges. In his words, "A perfect study of anything requires a knowledge of everything." Reading about this made me rethink what I have always thought about my core classes. The mindset of core classes seems to be that they are a hassle, and we often talk about "getting some core out of the way" either online or during the summer. However, when looking at it this way, core classes that aren't related to our major might be a blessing. This way, we can have a broader view of the world, and also a broader spectrum of knowledge of things that we normally would not study at all. And, we don't completely know what God's plan is for us. Even if we have a major planned out, maybe one of our core classes will get us really excited about some other field. Lewis uses a great metaphor when he says, "How do you know that in that very river which I would exclude as poisonous the fish you specially want, the undiscovered fish, is waiting?" We might never find what God truly wants us to do if we don't look at the whole playing field.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Longing and Hope

In Cornelius Plantinga's book, Engaging God's World, Chapter One talks about the longing, hope and yearning that people have. The chapter also talked about how longing is an ingredient of hope. Because of this hope that humans have, we are able to long for shalom, which is the "webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in justice, fulfillment, and delight." In other words, as people of God, we are constantly hoping for peace.

People are always longing and hoping for things. A child often has the hopes of becoming an adult and having much more freedom, while an adult often longs for their past, when life was so much more simple. Living in a sinful world causes us always to be unsatisfied. We are yearning for something more, because we often become frustrated with earthly problems and want to know the peace that will come someday.

As a Christian, I can rest in the fact that I will never completely have to lose hope. I have the hope of someday being able to be taken off this sinful earth and get to be with Jesus Christ in heaven, and also on the new earth. Another example that Plantinga gave of someone who had hope and longing was Martin Luther King, Jr. His "I have a dream" speech inspired millions of people and still inspires people today. Although faced with endless adversity through his campaign of equal treatment, he never was in despair and always had a goal in sight; he always hoped. I think he is a great example of what true longing and hoping is. God has given us hope and longing for better times, and I believe he wants us to be his stewards on this earth to keep the hope alive and to tell others about the hope that we have. 1 Peter 3:15-16 makes this very clear: "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander."

We Have No Right To Happiness

Do we or do we not have a right to happiness? C.S. Lewis contemplates that question in his article entitled "We Have No 'Right to Happiness.'" He uses the example of two couples who are getting divorces because they are no longer happy with their partners: Mr. A and Mrs. A, and Mr. B and Mrs. B. In turn, Mr. A is getting married to Mrs. B because both of their spouses seemed to not meet the requirements to make Mr. A and Mrs. B happy. Lewis then explores the lawful amount that humans are able to pursue happiness. He decides that the underlying reason for happiness is usually sexual happiness, and that people tend to be unfaithful in order to gain the most happiness. He later goes on to make two final points about unfaithfulness: Women are more adversely affected, and that unfaithfulness soon is seen in every aspect of life.

I agree with Lewis' point about how infidelity seems to be accepted as long as it provides the most happiness. He uses a character, Clare, as an example of how the world thinks. She thought that it was okay for couples A and B to divorce because "After all, they had a right to happiness." Lewis says: "Clare, in fact, is doing what the whole western world seems to me to have been doing for the last 40-odd years." This seems to be a huge problem in today's society. Many of the top news stories revolve around people, usually celebrities, getting caught using illegal drugs, or getting so drunk that they turn violent against their friends and family. These are definitely things that should not be done; however, sexual promiscuity and infidelity usually do not make the morning's top headlines. There are, of course, exceptions, but for the most part infidelity seems to be accepted, simply because it seemingly provides people with the most happiness and therefore there seems to be nothing wrong with this. How has our culture become so twisted? The 7th Commandment says "You shall not commit adultery" (Deut. 5:18). I don't think God's commands can get much clearer than that; yet infidelity seems to be widely accepted.

Maybe what God wants us to do is different than what seems to make us completely happy, at least at first. That being said, Lewis makes two final points in the end of his essay that quickly decreases the appeal of being unfaithful. I do agree that women are adversely affected by infidelity, but I do think that men should not be taken out of the equation. They can definitely be emotionally affected by it as well. Also, Lewis points out that once a person starts to be unfaithful to their spouse, unfaithfulness starts to spread in all aspects of their life. I think that this can be prevented by taking it all to God. If one confesses what he/she has done wrong and is truly repentant, they can stop the effects of unfaithfulness, because God will give them a second chance. Every time. I think that as long as we keep God in the equation and put his law above all else, in the long run we will be more happy than ever thought possible.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Bulverism

C.S. Lewis wrote an entire article on Bulverism, a vice that was a problem then and still is a very real problem in today's society. But what in the world is Bulverism? Lewis created this term by using a fictional character, Ezekiel Bulver, who heard his mom say to his dad, "Oh, you say that because you are a man." In Lewis' words, Bulverism is "to assume without discussion that he is wrong and then distract his attention from this (the only real issue) by busily explaining how he became to be so silly." To simplify it even further, to me, Bulverism means that someone is quick to say how completely wrong another person is without any real explanation why, and without giving that person a chance to explain themselves or their arguments.

This essay, although written in 1941, still has so much relevance to our lives today. I agree with Lewis when he said that he sees Bulverism at work in every political argument.  I usually can't stand watching political debates because I get so frustrated at how both political parties rudely disagree, roll their eyes, and interrupt the other person before that person even has a chance to say what they want to say. It is fine if they choose to agree to disagree in the end, but they end up being so sure that they are right and the other person is wrong that it doesn't even end up being a proper debate.

Not only is there Bulverism in politics, but it is also seen in everyday conversation. Often with the people we're closest to, such as siblings, parents, or roommates, we tend to always think we are right and the other person is automatically wrong. We often get into pointless arguments just because of our pride. We're no better than the politicians, because we are just as guilty of Bulverism as they are.

Now the problem lies in how to combat the vice of Bulverism. How are we ever going to be able to get rid of this sense of bullying each other? A virtue that may be able to overcome Bulverism is respect. If we respect each other in their ideas, time to talk, and views on things, I believe that arguments would happen much less. We may still choose to disagree with someone's views, but we must do it respectfully. Also, we have to remember that the people we are arguing against are our brothers and sisters in Christ. We need to be respectful of them because they are created just as beautifully in God's eyes as we are.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

My Meditation on Meditation in a Toolshed

In "Meditation in a Toolshed," C.S. Lewis claims that there are two ways of looking at life life: both by looking at and along it. He used several different examples of comparing ways of living at and along life, and the one that I thought was most interesting was about the little girl crying over her broken doll while the psychologist knows that it is just her maternal instinct that is "temporarily lavished on a bit of shaped and coloured wax."

C.S. Lewis provides an interesting viewpoint here. This article made me question myself how I tend to live my own life, and also which way of living was right or wrong. One part of this article that I really appreciated was that Lewis didn't absolutely say that one way was right and one was wrong. He came up with arguments and critiques for both styles, which is often quite rare for an author. He believes that there needs to be a balance between the two styles of living in order to create a good life. If we spend too much time living at life instead of along it, we can't identify the experiences that we have had. We can know happiness as being some neurons switching around in the brain, but we won't truly know happiness unless we've looked alongside it, not simply at it. On the other hand, if we only look alongside life, that could also be a problem because we are often deceived by things that we base simply off of experience. In conclusion, he believes that we need to look both at and along everything in order to have a balanced life.

I think as Christians, we need to be careful about looking at both sides of everything. I believe that we tend to just look at other religions and see how corrupt and misleading they are. We tend to be quick to judge the people who have those religions and wonder why on earth they would believe what they do. However, I think that we need to also look along these people's lives, and try to understand their religion before being so quick to judge them. On the other hand, I think that often as Christians, we tend to only look along our own religion. We base our faith on simply emotion and feeling, rather than going to God's Word to back up our faith. I think Lewis had an excellent point in his meditation, and really helped his readers to take a step back and think about their own lives.