Oh how He loves us

Over break I decided that I would try to read some C.S. Lewis.  This decision was likely based on the fact that I go to IWU and have read very little of his works.  Another factor is that many of my friends have been reading Lewis over the past few years including my roommate.  I borrowed both The Great Divorce and The Screwtape Letters from my housemate and brought them home for Christmas.  I also plan on listening to Mere Christianity on my way back to school via audio book.

The first book I read was The Great Divorce.  I know many of my friends would be shocked to hear this, but I really was not a fan of the book.  I understand that it was supposed to be a work of fiction for the most part and strictly to be viewed as a theory without ground.  Even with this disclaimer I disliked the books overall intention.  I find the book to be mostly misleading especially to Christians who are young in their faith.  There were parts towards the end of the book that I enjoyed, and as a story it was good.  However, coming from the prestigiousness that Lewis holds, seeing it as just a story is a bit hard.  I was not a fan of the theology portrayed and saw it as misleading unrealistic fantasy at best.  After finishing this book I was worried that I was going to dislike Lewis the more I read.  The only experience I have had previously was reading the Chronicles of Narnia (which I enjoyed to my remembrance) when I was very young.

However, I was pleasantly surprised when I started reading Screwtape Letters.  After only reading the first few chapters (or letters) I was already a much bigger fan.  It wasn't far into the book that I found the first passage that inspired this blog post.

"He wants them to learn to walk and therefore must take away His hand; and if only the will to walk is really there He is pleased even with their stumbles." -End of letter 8

As soon as I read this I couldn't help but choke up and whisper a thank you.  I realized a lot about the love of God that I had never thought about before.  Of course we can never hope to be perfect, we can never hope to come close.  However, God does not require us to be perfect -- we only need to desire and to try to work towards it.  Like a toddler learning to walk, we let go of our parents hands destined to fall.  Sometimes we try to pick ourselves up and continue.  Sometimes we walk across a room only to smack our head against a wall or wall backwards onto the floor.  We desire to run!  But we can hardly muster a crawl.  God looks at this desire and crawl as if its the real thing!  How wonderful this is.  I also think that like a parent God never leaves our side (He is known as God the father after all).  He will hold our hand and allow us to walk arm in arm when we need.

The book takes on the perspective of an older demon teaching a younger demon.  After telling the younger demon that God only wants the desire and attempt from humans, the older demon further explains:

"Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our Enemy's will, looks round upon a universe from which ever trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys." 

This is another cool thing to think about.  Even demons know that we are never closer to God than when we follow Him blindly.  The times when we feel abandoned are the times that God (and demons‽) is watching us closely.  Nothing delights Him more than when we choose to try and follow His will when all seems lost and hopeless.  Perhaps there is a lot of power behind "Sigh, I don't know why I bother but I'm 'following' God's will I guess."  Could the attitude be better? Yes.  But could the action be better?  Perhaps not.  The next time I feel that I am going through a dry spell, I will think of this principle.

I look forward to finishing this book.  The perspective is different than most Christian books I've read, but I think this actually helps to clarify things.  This book causes me to think Lewis is a genius.  I can't imagine what inspired him to attempt such a task as Screwtape Letters, but I believe thus far he was brilliant in his attempt.  I guess this shows that you shouldn't judge an author by one book. 

My challenge this time is to consider how following God during times of serious doubt are really the times of greatest significance and love.  Perhaps a way to think about it would be when we obey our parents when they don't know we are.  Or when we remain true to a loved one when theres no chance of them finding our.  These things are more about trust, but so is choosing to desire and try God when God seems no where to be found.  I hope you see the significance in the point I am trying to make.


Your friend, brother, and companion in Christ, 
-Zach Haas