Christian Living~

I have just finished listening to C. S. Lewis's book Mere Christianity. It is quite an amazing book in the way it sets forth what God and Christ have done for us so clearly and concisely. And Lewis has written his book in a way that I haven't heard before or since...so deep and profound that it sweeps one into a feeling of otherworldliness. At least that was my response. I feel very sure that we as humans find it very difficult to grasp what is really going on between us and Christ. But it is to our benefit to find out! 

And I found this information, which I believe will create a setting for Lewis's writing. It is from a study guide on Mere Christianity by Peter J. Schakel at Hope College. I only want to give you the original setting of the book. Schakel says that it was written during some of the darkest days of World War II. London was bombed every night from September 7, 1940, to November 2, 1940. There were 500 tons of bombs and 30,000 incendiaries and landmines dropped on Coventry on November 14. It was a time of blackouts, bomb shelters, shortages, and rationing--and a time of personal searching, wondering, and questioning.  

About this time C. S. Lewis, a Fellow in English at Oxford University, was just becoming known in Christian circles in England. He had written and published The Pilgrim's Regress in 1933 (but it was hardly noticed), Out of the Silent Planet in 1938 (it was more successful), and The Problem of Pain in 1940 (it was not a best seller). Within the next year, Lewis became better known. A serial publication of The Screwtape Letters was published and was so widely read that Lewis's name became almost a household word. Lewis was asked to do a series of talks on Christianity on the radio, and the result of his talks is his book Mere Christianity. So now I want to give you a sampling out of the book, which is for the purpose of making you think!

Christian Living

Now the whole offer which Christianity makes is this: that we can, if we let God have His way, come to share in the life of Christ. If we do, we shall then be sharing a life which was begotten, not made, which always has existed and always will exist. Christ is the Son of God. If we share in this kind of life, we also shall be sons of God. We shall love the Father as He does, and the Holy Ghost will arise in us. He came to this world and became a man in order to spread to other men the kind of life He has--by what I call "good infection." Every Christian is to become a little Christ. The whole purpose of becoming a Christian is simply nothing else.

Sometimes I'm made aware of how worldly my mind has become as I read such meaningful words. I hope it stirs your heart as well.

Have a good Tuesday!

Blessings...Mimi