It has been my experience, the Lord chooses the weak things to confound the wise.
Thankfully, I am considered one of the weak, but I can pray. There is much power in prayer!
Psalm 91. A beautiful prayer when you personalize and apply it to your family, your friends, your President, to your co-workers, and not the least, our US Armed Forces.
I’ve been following you for a long time, encouraging and urging you on, and today I get another big payoff. Lewis is a favorite refuge and fountain of inspiration for me, too.
Funny, I've been ruminating about this topic for a few days. I wasn't aware of the C.S. Lewis writing on this particular matter. Rather, I had seen a quote from a character in TENET, who states "What happens, happened. It is a statement of faith in the mechanics of the world, it's not an excuse to do nothing." While this is stated in context of a sort of philosophical determinism rather than Christian faith, it was easy to see such a statement applying to faith. As algorithms push Christian related content my way, with no quality control, I frequently see something to the tune of "Don't care, God wins." It's clear that this usually isn't a statement motivated by faith, but a desire to avoid discomfort, responsibility, and action, just couched in a veneer of faith. I like that C.S. Lewis explores the idea in more detail. He neatly puts into words much of what I've been thinking about. The one other point that strikes me was something that Shawn Ryan said in a clip from his podcast. It was about how, after he was baptized, he was warned. Something like "now that you've picked a side, you need to be ready" It was expressed that he should expect to become a target. I think that insight is frequently left out, favoring the positive side of faith. But the fact of the matter is, becoming Christian actually can invite suffering. For Ryan, he's a veteran, and understands perseverance through suffering. What C.S. Lewis offers that I rarely see is a sort of acknowledgement of both sides of the coin. It's not a sales pitch about eternal bliss on a fluffy cloud, and it's not an appeal to grim stoicism about enduring suffering. It's connecting the two ideas as integral to each other. It puts the whole thing into a context of "purpose". Thank you for sharing that.
100% on the money. In the same book, Lewis says God is like the dentist. You go in expecting a tooth to get fixed, but he wants to fix the entire mouth.
Yes, Captain K, there are some excellent words of wisdom in Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. The Dean of our Cathedral loves C.S. Lewis. Blessings to you this day, sir.
Wonderfully true. And might add (although defeat is never the objective) the lost battles and causes are often the ones most worth fighting for. Cf Thermopylae the Alamo the Chosin the Trump Trials.
I truly appreciate your morale boost, it's keeping me positive and motivated. Due to my lack of articulation, I cannot fully express my gratitude, but it is heartfelt.
It has been my experience, the Lord chooses the weak things to confound the wise.
Thankfully, I am considered one of the weak, but I can pray. There is much power in prayer!
Psalm 91. A beautiful prayer when you personalize and apply it to your family, your friends, your President, to your co-workers, and not the least, our US Armed Forces.
I’ve been following you for a long time, encouraging and urging you on, and today I get another big payoff. Lewis is a favorite refuge and fountain of inspiration for me, too.
Funny, I've been ruminating about this topic for a few days. I wasn't aware of the C.S. Lewis writing on this particular matter. Rather, I had seen a quote from a character in TENET, who states "What happens, happened. It is a statement of faith in the mechanics of the world, it's not an excuse to do nothing." While this is stated in context of a sort of philosophical determinism rather than Christian faith, it was easy to see such a statement applying to faith. As algorithms push Christian related content my way, with no quality control, I frequently see something to the tune of "Don't care, God wins." It's clear that this usually isn't a statement motivated by faith, but a desire to avoid discomfort, responsibility, and action, just couched in a veneer of faith. I like that C.S. Lewis explores the idea in more detail. He neatly puts into words much of what I've been thinking about. The one other point that strikes me was something that Shawn Ryan said in a clip from his podcast. It was about how, after he was baptized, he was warned. Something like "now that you've picked a side, you need to be ready" It was expressed that he should expect to become a target. I think that insight is frequently left out, favoring the positive side of faith. But the fact of the matter is, becoming Christian actually can invite suffering. For Ryan, he's a veteran, and understands perseverance through suffering. What C.S. Lewis offers that I rarely see is a sort of acknowledgement of both sides of the coin. It's not a sales pitch about eternal bliss on a fluffy cloud, and it's not an appeal to grim stoicism about enduring suffering. It's connecting the two ideas as integral to each other. It puts the whole thing into a context of "purpose". Thank you for sharing that.
100% on the money. In the same book, Lewis says God is like the dentist. You go in expecting a tooth to get fixed, but he wants to fix the entire mouth.
This article is so clarifying and valuable. Thank you for writing this.
Yes, Captain K, there are some excellent words of wisdom in Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. The Dean of our Cathedral loves C.S. Lewis. Blessings to you this day, sir.
Wonderfully true. And might add (although defeat is never the objective) the lost battles and causes are often the ones most worth fighting for. Cf Thermopylae the Alamo the Chosin the Trump Trials.
I truly appreciate your morale boost, it's keeping me positive and motivated. Due to my lack of articulation, I cannot fully express my gratitude, but it is heartfelt.
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✝️
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