Integrative Essay

C.S. Lewis once stated that “humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less”. Lewis put significant emphasis on the concept of humility in every aspect of the Christian faith. Humility is what drives every human being to compassion for others before themselves. Through humility, the world becomes a better place to live; a Creation where selfishness is insignificant and love is bountiful. Philippians 2:3-4 states, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Paul wrote to the Christians at Philippi around A.D. 61 to thank them for sending a gift while he was in prison. He also wanted to encourage and strengthen these believers by showing them that true joy comes from Christ alone. Paul saw the importance of surrendering oneself for God’s purpose of bringing others to Him, to live a life of full obedience and love. Although Paul did not have an easy life, he lived a life of humility before God in order to fulfill His calling and by giving God all honor, glory and praise. The importance of being humble is that when we give up our self-interest, we can serve with joy, love and kindness. Throughout many of Lewis’ works, he constantly writes about humility in accordance to the Christian faith. In Learning in War-Time, Lewis stated, “Humility, no less than the appetite, encourages us to concentrate simply on the knowledge or the beauty, not too much concerning ourselves with their ultimate relevance to the vision of God” (Lewis, Learning 3).

In C.S. Lewis’ “Meditation in a Toolshed”, Lewis focused on the idea of looking "at" or "along" a situation in life. He explained that in order to fully understand and relate to someone else, humans need to have a balance between being a part of the situation while also seeing the outside perspective objectively. I believe that humility is the key to this concept because we, as humans, cannot fully understand someone else’s point of view. Lewis states that "a physiologist, for example, can study pain and find out that it 'is' (whatever is means) such and such neural events. But the word pain would have no meaning for him unless he had 'been inside' by actually suffering” (Lewis, Meditation 2). Having compassion and understanding is extremely important when talking to someone is going through a hard time.

In A Grief Observed, Lewis is grieving the loss of his beloved wife Joy. Hurt, confusion, and sadness are evident in his writings as he tries to sort through the many emotions he is feeling. In Chapter 2, Lewis gives a good example of the distinction between looking at or along a situation. “Talk to me about the truth of religion and I’ll listen gladly. Talk to me about the duty of religion and I’ll listen submissively. But don’t come talking to me about the consolations of religion or I shall suspect you don’t understand” (Lewis, Grief) Many times I find myself in certain situations where I try to give a ton of advice as if I completely understand what the other person is going through. When I am giving advice just by looking at a situation, I usually end up eating my own words. I can give as much advice as possible, but if I do not do so out of love and understanding, then all of my words are rendered meaningless. I believe that the distinguishing characteristic of looking at and along is humility. By coming into a certain situation with complete humility, we can focus on giving the best advice, not from ourselves, but through God’s Word and love. It is important that the relationship between looking at or along a situation is focused on each individual displaying understanding and humility. Colossians 3:12-14 states, “Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them together in perfect unity”.

C.S. Lewis’ “Have No Right to Happiness” focuses on whether or not humans have a right to happiness. Lewis concluded that we indeed have no right to happiness and I agree with him. We, as humans, have no right to anything, let alone happiness. When sin entered the world, we lost all rights to anything because we were captured by our sin. God sent His son, Jesus, to earth in order to have mercy on our lost souls. God sent us grace so that we may follow and spend eternity with Him forever. We have no right to anything. It is only because God sent grace that we can pursue happiness that is rooted in Christ. In Philippians 4:4, God calls us to “rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” I find this extremely humbling; that God allows us joy rooted in Him. If we begin to look at our lives as though we deserve happiness, then pride becomes the center of our mindset. I constantly need to remind myself that I deserve nothing and bask in God’s wonderful mercy and love that he has showered on His children. Lewis also talked about how in times of joy many times we forget God and feel as though we do not need Him. And if we remember to be thankful, then we are welcomed with open arms. And in the hard times, we wonder how God could allow such terrible events to happen to good people who never deserved it. In Matthew, on the cross, Jesus proclaims to His Father, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” We begin to doubt whether or not our God is actually as good as He says He is. It is as though we have the mindset that if we are happy it is because we did something to deserve it. It was because of the money we gave to that charity, or the fact that I showed love to my enemy. What a completely twisted lifestyle that we, as Christians, bask in. Psalm 16:9-11 states, “Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made know to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand”. True joy is found in God’s presence alone. I am completely humbled by God’s provisions in my life and I pray that I might live constantly clinging to Him.

Lewis gives a beautiful depiction of true humility at its purest in “The Weight of Glory”. “Perfect humility dispenses with modesty. If God is satisfied with the work, the work may be satisfied with itself” (Lewis, Glory 6). The point of humility is not to belittle oneself, but instead to do everything with the intention of giving it to God for His glory alone. Lewis states, “And that is enough to raise our thoughts to what may happen when the redeemed soul, beyond all hope and nearly beyond belief, learns at last that she has pleased Him whom she was created to please. There will be no room for vanity then” (Lewis, Glory 6). Christians look forward to the day when they can hear God say well done, good and faithful servant. This is not to bring glory to ourselves, but instead, to fulfill the purpose that God had laid before us. By doing so, God will welcome us with open arms because He knows us as His faithful children who clung solely to His will and purpose. I find this depiction of humility to be at its purest form. In the parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25:34-36,40, Jesus gives an example of how we should be living our lives in humility and purpose for furthering God’s Kingdom here on earth.“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me… I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’”

Plantinga also touched on the topic of humility in the chapter on redemption. “Because the mind of Christ includes looking not only to one’s own interests, but also to the interests of others, she prays and works for people who need the grace of Jesus Christ in some obvious way” (Plantinga 96). Humility is modeled after Christ and, by utilizing His characteristics, we are fulfilling God’s purpose for our lives. Like the Talmud would follow closely to their Rabbi, as should we follow so closely to Christ that the dust of our Rabbi would be on us. I am completely humbled by the fact that we are a broken mirror reflecting a bit of God’s image to the world around us. I cannot look down or belittle myself because I am an image bearer of Christ, but I do need to give Him all the honor and glory. To show God’s goodness to His broken Creation is what God calls each of us to do; no matter what vocation we happen to be a part of. “He practices humility and trusts that humility is actually a sign of strength. He takes on ‘the form of a servant’ and trusts that this is the kind of life God will vindicate because servanthood is part of the life of heaven” (Plantinga 97).

The most efficient way to bring others to Christ is being clothed in humility and compassion in order to shine God’s light to others. In Matthew 28:19-20, God calls us to “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Works Cited

Lewis, C.S. A Grief Observed, 1961.

Lewis, C.S. “Have No Right to Happiness”

Lewis, C.S. “Learning in War-Time.” Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Oxford. 1939. Lecture.

Lewis, C.S. “Meditation in a Toolshed”.

Lewis, C.S. “The Weight of Glory.” Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Oxford. 1942. Lecture.

Plantinga, Cornelius Jr. Engaging God's Word. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdman's Publishing Co. , 2002. Print

Shattered Glass (Movie)

Shattered Glass is a true story about a Washington D.C. journalist named Stephen Glass who became a very successful writer for "The New Republic" in his early 20s. Glass' character is charming, full of charisma and completely loveable. It seemed as though he was living the perfect life; everyone wanted to be him. But after some of his information did not quite check out, Glass' boss started researching and found that the facts from the articles did not match up. By the end of the movie, we find out that 27 of Glass' 41 published stories were either partially or completely made up.

I thought this movie did a great job of showing the importance of living a life full of integrity. Although short cuts to fame may seem like the best choice to get ahead, eventually, we will get caught and reap what we sow. Psalm 7:8 states, "let the Lord judge the peoples. Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High God." To live a life of integrity is the best way to get ahead. Working hard to the best of our abilities provides the most complete satisfaction we can ever imagine.

Ephesians 2:10 states, "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." God has given each of us a unique gift; whether it be writing, teaching, painting, singing, encouraging etc. In order to use our gifts to the best of our ability, we must use integrity and try to fulfill God's purpose in us.

"Man or Rabbit"

"But to evade the Son of Man, to look the other way, to pretend you haven't noticed, to become suddenly absorbed in something on the other side of the street, to leave the receiver off the telephone because it might be He who was ringing up, to leave unopened certain letters in a strange hand-writing because they might be from Him--this is a different matter. You may not be certain yet whether you ought to be a Christian; but you do know you ought to be a Man, not an ostrich, hiding its head in the sand." C.S. Lewis answered the controversial question of whether or not a non-believer can really be a good person. When I first read this, I thought it quite obvious that there are good people who do not believe in Christianity. As I further read Lewis' argument, I began to understand that there is a much deeper question here than whether or not a man can do good without believing in Christianity. Lewis states, "The question before each of us is not 'Can someone lead a good life without Christianity?' The question is, 'Can I?'... If he hadn't heard of Christianity he would not be asking this question." Sure a man can do good without being a Christian, but ultimately, his morality will become tainted because of his rejection of the ultimate good; God.

I thought Lewis did a good job of presenting such a controversial topic. In the end, I agreed with his standing on the issue because the man had not just been ignorant of God, he instead fully rejected the idea of God. Goodness and God are one in the same, so if a man chooses to discount God then he discounts goodness as well. Luke 18:19 states, "'Why do you call me good?' Jesus answered. 'No one is good-- except God alone.'" God cannot be separate from good in this world.

"The people who keep on asking if they can't lead a decent life without Christ, don't know what life is about; if they did they would know that 'a decent life' is mere machinery compared with the thing we men are really made for." I am completely humbled by the fact that God has created me to do good in this world for Him. Sometimes I feel as though I look more to myself as the good person, when in fact, the good inside of me is God Himself.

Plantinga Chapter 5

Plantinga states, "Your Calvin education is designed to help you love the Lord our God with all your mind, and then to love your neighbor as yourself with a life of educated service". I would have to agree with Plantinga on this point of the chapter. Although some of what he said was good, he said it with a kind of arrogant air that Christians are better than others. Despite this, I definitely agree with the previous quote.

Before I chose Calvin, I was only looking at Christian colleges. I always got the question, "Why would you want to go to a Christian college? Isn't it way cheaper to go to a state school?" Sometimes I wondered why I would go to a Christian school. My family is not very wealthy, and not to mention the economy makes it even harder. I questioned my reasoning constantly. It would be so much easier to go to a state school; academically and financially. My parents encouraged me to go to a Christian school because it is learning a vocation from the Christian perspective and I would be around other Christian friends that are like-minded. After praying about it, I felt God calling me to go to Calvin.

Although I think it is extremely important to go out into the world and be a part of it for Christ, it is also important to learn from Christian teachers and be prepared to go out into the world. This mindset is not for everyone, but I did feel God calling me to be educated at a Christian school. Everyday, I thank God for bringing me here and constantly providing.

The Inner Ring

I believe that C.S. Lewis approached a common topic in a unique way in "The Inner Ring". He discussed the concept of how humans always want to be included in some way or another. We all want to be inside the 'inner ring'. "I believe that in all men's' lives at certain periods, and 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." Every person can remember one moment in their lives when the longed to be apart of a certain group; to be inside the inner ring.

I guess the most cliche example of this would have to be high school. It may be cliche, but this is where I witnessed adolescents doing anything to get into a certain group. They changed who they were into who they thought they wanted to be; or more likely who they thought others wanted them to be. I watched my friends change completely so that they would fit in better with the more "popular" group. I struggled with the idea of being content with myself, and tried to be someone that I wasn't. It is something that I struggle with everyday and will continue to struggle with in every stage of my life. Although I do feel more secure in who I am now than I did back when I was 15, I still struggle with the constant push to be someone that the world would want me to be; not necessarily God. Striving to be in the Inner Ring brings many people to pride when they get in, and grief when they do not.

I Corinthians 12:12-13 states, "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink." I really like this passage because it reminds me to be content with who God made me to be. God gave each and every one of His children different gifts to further His Kingdom and to show the true beauty of His Creation. This is something I need to remind myself everyday; I am who God say I am.

"We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have." (Frederick Keonig)

"The Four Loves: Eros"

Eros is the chapter in which C.S. Lewis focuses on sexual love in his work "The Four Loves". At one point, Lewis compares a husband and wife's relationship to the relationship of Christ and His church. This is in the context that the wife "receives most and gives least, is most unworthy of him, is in her own mere nature least lovable. For the Church has no beauty but what the Bridegroom gives her; he does not find, but makes her, lovely." I thought that this was a beautiful analogy of what Christ does for us. When I first read this, I wondered why on earth this man would choose to marry such an uncaring and selfish women? The same is for why Christ chose to die for our sins of selfishness, hatred, greed etc. We never deserved it, yet Christ chose to make us His bridegroom and, therefore, made us beautiful. We are a broken mirror reflecting a bit of His beauty to others. In Ephesians 5:25-27, Paul was giving commands of how each couple should treat each other specifically to the Ephesian Church. "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless." During this time period, men were the head of the house and the wives had to listen to everything they said. The fact that Paul told husbands to love their wives as they love themselves is something that these men had never been told to do before. Paul also goes on to explain that wives must also respect their husbands.

After reading this passage from Ephesians 5, I realized that it is not just a one way street in marriage and love. Although Paul puts emphasis on the husbands' role in marriage to make a point, he also mentions that wives need to respect their husbands. Christ loves His church and makes her beautiful but it cannot stop there. The church needs to take that love and bring it to the broken world around it. It takes a lot of work to maintain any relationship (whether here on earth or spiritually). Lewis states that "falling in love is something that happens to us; being /staying in love is something that we do". Falling in love with Christ puts us on a spiritual high were we think we are untouchable but, eventually, we will slowly fall down from our highpoint and back to distrust, confusion, and hurt. To avoid falling too far, it is so important for us to maintain our relationship with Christ through His word, through our actions, and through our relationships in His world. It will not always be easy, just as marriage takes a lot of work, but there will be moments when we look back and see the beauty in our relationship with Christ that makes everything worth it.

Plantinga Chapter 4

The Heidelberg Catechism Question an Answer 1 gives good insight into what I believe as a Christian and what Christ has done for all of us. "Q1: What is your only comfort in life and in death? A1: That I am not my own, but belong--body and soul, in life and in death--to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven: if fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him." I have gone to the same Christian Reformed Church my whole life. In my high school catechism class, we recited Question and Answer 1 every week at the beginning of class. Also, in my Christian high school's Reformed Doctrine Class senior year, I was tested on memorizing the same part of the catechism. Because of its monotony, Q&A1 has become second nature for me and has made me somehow overlook the significance of this statement of faith in my life.

The fact that I fully belong to Christ, and not myself, puts emphasis on the idea of vocational calling that Lewis addressed in his sermon "Learning in War-Time". It is essential for me to live my life as an offering to God even in the mundane, everyday activities. I, and all of us, belong to Christ because "He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil". Because Christ chose to redeem us, we can all bask in the freedom that He has given us through Himself.

It is essential for humans, because Christ made the ultimate sacrifice of dying for us, to live a life of faithfully following what would bring honor and glory to God's name. Plantinga states, "The faithful person practices self-giving love and trusts that he won't be a fool to do it. He practices humility and trusts that humility is actually a sign of strength." Plantinga also talked about the Ten Commandments and how instead of restrictions, we should see them as a sense of freedom in a life of commitment to Christ. He stated is perfectly when he said, "Sin traps people and makes them wilt; godly obedience liberates people and helps them flourish." I had never really thought about the Ten Commandments in that point of view before so I really enjoyed Plantinga's interpretation.

"Learning in War-Time"

C.S. Lewis states in Learning in War-Time, "All our merely natural activities will be accepted, if they are offered to God, even the humblest: and all of them, even the noblest, will be sinful if they are not. Christianity does not simply replace our natural life and substitute a new one: it is rather a new organization which exploits, to its own supernatural ends, these natural materials." Although Lewis' sermon was to students at Oxford during a war, I believe that his words still bring truth and apply beautifully to the lives of Christians everywhere at any point in their lives.

Lewis addressed the concept of vocation for Christians and also the misinterpretation that many of us have to God's calling in our lives. Many Christians have the mentality that our lives need to be fully devoted to God in every aspect. In a sense, this is true, but we do need to be careful. If I were to just focus on religion and nothing else, I would essentially be secluding myself from the rest of the world. This is not what God calls us to do. In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus commands us to "Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." How can we bring others to Christ if we stay locked up inside our own security blanket of religion? It is also important to use our judgement of whether or not we should be in certain situations in this world, but God ultimately calls us to reach out to the world around us.

I also liked how Lewis addressed the idea that Christians can honor God in everything they do. It is not necessary for us to live inside our security blanket of religion because we can do so much to worship God in our everyday life in His Creation. Lewis states, "The work of a Beethoven, and the work of a charwoman, become spiritual on precisely the same condition, that of being offered to God, of being done humbly 'as to the Lord'... A mole must dig to the glory of God and cock must crow. We are members of one body, but differentiated members, each with his own vocation." God calls each of us to a different vocation. Although, many times I think of living a life of fulfilling God's purpose is giving all worldly possessions and working in a third-world country. This may be a calling for some, but not for all. If every person went to work in ministry, where would our world be. Our world needs Christians in every vocation in order to relate and bring others to Christ.

This sermon gives me the perspective that God will use me in any vocation that I essentially will choose to participate in. I only hope that I can live a life of devotion to God in everything I do; giving Him all the glory, honor and praise.

Plantinga Chapter 3

In Chapter 3 of "Engaging God's World", Plantinga discussed how all humans are broken and distorted by sin. Plantinga states that "evil is what's wrong in the world, and it includes trouble in nature as well as in human nature... We might define evil as any spoiling of shalom, any deviation from the way God wants things to be." I thought that Plantinga made a good analogy of how evil is a deviation from God's path. God's Will for His children was for us to follow His perfect path and bask in His goodness and love. When sin entered the world, humans began to step away from God's intentions and created a gap between ourselves and God.

Plantinga also talked about the idea of corruption. A corrupted person does not use God's gifts for his or her intended purpose. We need to address what God has blessed us with and be sure to understand what God's purpose is for us. I believe that God has blesses each individual person with different abilities for His intended purpose. When we misuse those God-given abilities, we begin to corrupt something beautiful into something selfish and evil. It is extremely important to understand and pray about what God calls each of us to do with the gifts that He has given us.

There are many controversial subjects in this chapter about the Fall of Creation. I believe it is extremely important to understand where we stand on different issues regarding faith, but we also need to remember that we are not going to be right about everything. If there are people who are correct about everything concerning their beliefs in God and theology, then I would love to meet them! We need to understand that although some people may believe differently on certain subjects, this does not mean that they are necessarily wrong. As Christians, we need to have a united front when discussing such confusing topics (in reference to Lewis' "Mere Christianity"). It is extremely important to remember that we are unified in the belief of Jesus Christ as the Son of God and our only way to ever lasting life. That is what defines us as Christians.

"The Poison of Subjectivism"

C.S. Lewis confronted the problem of morality in accordance to the Law of Human Nature and how humans perceive it in "The Poison of Subjectivism". Lewis states, "Against this view the modern mind has two lines of defence. The first claims that traditional morality is different in different times and places- in fact, that there is not one morality but a thousand. The second exclaims that to tie ourselves to an immutable moral code is to cut off all progress and acquiesce in stagnation. Both are unsound."

George Bernard Shaw once stated that "progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything". Progress is inevitable in the world around us. We constantly are confronted with new and better technology. Looking back only a decade ago, I can already see the different lifestyles and mindsets that people had. Although progress is essential to the lifestyles we live, I do believe that some ideas have always been constant. Lewis gives the example of how space has always been and yet is not stagnant nor does it cut off progress. "Space does not stink because it has preserved its three dimensions from the beginning. The square on the hypotenuse has not gone moldy by continuing to equal the sum of the squares on the other two sides".

Lewis also addressed the fact that there is evidence throughout history that ideas are connected from different time periods. Lewis gives examples of connections and advancement from different times on similar concepts. "From the Stoic and Confucian, 'Do not do to others what you would not like them to do to you'; to the Christian, 'Do as you would be don by' is a real advance." There are many connections just like this found throughout history.

I find it hard to believe that some people argue against one set moral code. If we do not have a main idea of what is right or wrong, then how can we defend any of our moral ideas? There has to be one long lasting moral code that we took in order to base all of our beliefs off of.

"Mere Christianity"

In "Mere Christianity", Lewis begins the book by clarifying that his intention is not to take a side in the tiny details of Christianity through denominations. Lewis states that "our divisions should never be discussed except in the presence of those who have already come to believe that there is one God and that Jesus Christ is His only Son. " It is extremely important to stand as a united front when dealing with non-believers. Separation implies that there are disagreements within our beliefs and this gives the wrong impression to non-believers. Christianity holds the belief that God sent His son Jesus to this earth and we need to accept Him as our Lord and Savior. Although there are some distinctions between different denominations, we hold the same belief that ultimately matters and that will bring salvation.

Lewis goes on to distinguish the difference between the Law of Nature and the Law of Human Nature. "The idea was that, just as all bodies are governed by the law of gravitation, and organisms by biological laws, so the creature called man also had his law--with the great difference, that a body could not choose whether it obeyed the law of gravitation or not, but a man could choose either to obey the Law of Human Nature or to disobey." There is an ultimate rule of morality that everyone knows and that humans expect others to follow. I believe that Lewis sums it up best when he says that human beings have a curious idea that they should behave a certain way and cannot get rid of it. Also, that we in fact fail to act in accordance to that belief. "They know the Law of Nature; they break it."

I think that Lewis explains the idea of moral law in a very precise and easily understood way. When I look at this world, I see a standard by which we hold others to. A good example of this would be the justice system. If there was no absolute truth, then how would we be allowed to penalize a person for murder? If there is no absolute truth, he could argue that it was right for him to murder that other person. We need to understand and strive to follow the Law of Human Nature or else the world would be in chaos. We, as Christians, can follow closely to the Law of Human Nature by striving to show love in all we do. Being a Christ-like example in love is the most effective way to bring others to Christ and making this world a better place. Matthew 19:19 states, "Jesus replied, 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbor as yourself.'"

Screwtape Letters

C.S. Lewis' "Screwtape Letter's" is a different take on how Christians should analyze their lives and behavior. The perspective of the book is from two devils, one senior giving advice to the junior devil about a particular person (patient). The chapter we focused on in class was about being a lukewarm Christian and the dangers of doing so. Lewis states in the perspective of Screwtape (the senior devil), "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". Being a lukewarm Christian is so dangerous because, most of the time, we cannot see the emptiness because we are filling it by going through the motions.

It is so important that we, as Christians, make sure to see how the devil is working in our lives, especially in the little things that are hard to notice. In class, we talked about how the devil works in the area of our habits. The devil wants us to not change our action right away, but instead to change our inward thought so that no one will notice. This is a gradual, snowball effect and once it starts growing it will become harder to stop. I believe that one strategy that we can do in order to be intentional about our habits is by having an accountability partner. I find that when I'm in the middle of a hard time spiritually, it is difficult for me to pinpoint exactly what I'm doing wrong because I have become blinded by the situation. It is so important to have a trusted friend on the outside of the situation who is observing and can offer advice.

We also talked about how the devil almost likes Christians going to church better because we feel as though our spiritual life is okay, when in fact, we are just going through the motions of spirituality. The devil wants us to cover up clear thinking with false confidence. On the other hand, God wants us to go to church wholeheartedly and intentionally. This hit me hard because I have been going to church my whole life. Some Sundays I do not want to be there and get absolutely nothing out of the sermon. A good strategy for myself is to make sure that I get at least one thing out of the sermon that I can discuss with my family or friends. This is a small but important step to help me slowly grasp the importance of church in my spiritual walk.

Although these are just small changes, it is so important to be aware of what the devil is trying to do and have a strategy against him. We need to remember that "Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one-the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts..." Remember to be intentional!

"The Weight of Glory"

C.S. Lewis "The Weight of Glory" focuses on how humans respond to the idea of heaven and how God calls each of us to live a life of humility and love to others; this will bring the ultimate gift of eternity with God that He so graciously gives to us. Lewis also talks about the idea of what glory is. He said that we can look at glory two ways, "either glory means to me fame, or it means to me luminosity."

When I think about glory in a worldly sense, I first think of the aspect of fame. I picture someone who did something extraordinary, and in doing so, brought glory to their name. A good example of how I picture fame and glory is Chelsey Sullenberger, the pilot who safely crash-landed his plane on the Hudson River on January 15, 2009. Sullenberger is now seen as an American hero for his quick thinking and excellent job of saving the lives of his 150 passengers. He was given fame for what he did in a terrible situation. This is how I picture glory in the fame aspect. Although Sullenberger saved so many people, we need to remember that God gave him the tools to do so. In a broader aspect, when we do something good in this world, it is not because of what we did but how God used us for His purposes.

Humility is the key to this mindset. Lewis states, "And that is enough to raise our thoughts to what may happen when the redeemed soul, beyond all hope and nearly beyond belief, learns at last that she has pleased Him whom she was created to please. There will be no room for vanity then." Christians look forward to the day when we can hear God say well done, good and faithful servant. This is not to bring glory to ourselves, but instead, to fulfill the purpose that God had laid before us. By doing so, God will welcome us with open arms because He knows us as His faithful children who clung solely to His will and purpose.

Plantinga Chapter 2

Plantinga states that "Creation is neither a necessity nor an accident. Instead, given God's interior life that overflows with regard for others, we might say creation is an act fitting for God." There was nothing before Creation except for God alone. He chose to create a world because of His wonderful imagination and creativity. The fact that God does not need creation and yet chose it is a very humbling experience for me. The constant reminder that creation brings delight to God gives me a lot of perspective. I live to bring glory to God, to live in His Will, and bring Him delight in His creation.

Anther important aspect that stood out to me in Plantinga's writing was the fact that God created humans in His likeness. "God has seen fit to make room in the universe for creatures who bear some of the glory of their Maker, and who, even on the rainiest Monday morning of their lives, look something like God. We image God in our personhood, communion, responsibility, dignity, virtue, suffering, and freedom." What a completely amazing statement! We are created in the likeness of God, not because we had something to do with it, but because God chose us to be a light in His creation. I find this completely humbling because God chose us, even fallen sinners, to bear Himself in this world.

Being an image bearer is not a title to be taken lightly. God has a purpose for everything in His wonderful creation. He made us in His likeness in order to be closer to Him and to be with Him in eternity. Because we bear His image, it is extremely important for followers of Christ to constantly strive to be like God in order to fulfill His purpose for us. We need to be in constant worship with Him in everything that we do. God created every creature to worship Him in their own ways. Plantinga gave the example of how even humpback whales worship God in their own way. Creation is redeemable, and God calls us to reach out to His hurting world in His likeness, kindness, gentleness, and love.

"Our English Sylllabus"

C.S. Lewis wrote "Our English Syllabus" as a way to reach out to his freshmen class at Oxford Academy. His class wanted to know a detailed outline of what the class would entail for the following year. Instead, Lewis gave them an in-depth persuasive essay on why education is so important rather than just vocational training. Lewis even stated that "you see at once that education is essentially for freemen and vocational training for slaves." Although I find this quote to be somewhat of an extreme, I do see the point Lewis was striving to make. When students are just learning for vocational training, they may seem limited (or in slavery) to this one particular subject when there are a vast array of interesting subjects that are unreachable to them. Lewis essentially wants students to have the freedom to be educated in many different subjects without the impossibility of learning every detail of each. There is a happy medium in between be constrained and learning about everything.

I believe that Calvin College has done a good job of helping their students find this happy medium. Because students have the privilege of a liberal arts education, they can take classes outside of their field in order to get a well-rounded education. Many students believe that they are being forced to take meaningless classes their first two years that have nothing to do with their field of work and are just a waste of time. I believe that each student chose which college they would go to and knew coming in that Calvin was in fact a liberal arts school.

I did struggle a bit my first semester with some hard core classes that made me question why I was wasting my time with classes that were not necessary at the other schools I was considering. Looking back I know realize that in order to succeed in my vocational training, I need to have a base for building on more learning and education. It is extremely important to be a well-rounded person in whatever field we will be working in.

I do not think I could say it any better than when Lewis stated, "The proper question for a freshman is not 'What will do me most good?' but 'What do I most want to know?'"

Plantinga Chapter 1

St. Augustine once stated in his prayer of Confessions, “O Lord, you have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you”. I think this is a perfect depiction of how humans are in relation to how God created us to be filled with His spirit. Plantinga wrote on this phenomenon and how it affects people who try to fill the void for God with earthly pleasures instead. Galatians 2:20 states, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” When we live according to Christ and his plan for us, God sends his spirit to fill the void God placed within us that can only be filled with him.

Looking at the world today, my heart is full of grief. Every day, I see people trying to fill their void with meaningless things of this world. They try using sex, money, love, friends, alcohol, drugs etc. Ultimately, only God can fill the void He made in us. C.S. Lewis states that “we are full of yearnings, sometimes shy and sometimes passionate, that point us beyond the things of earth to the ultimate reality of God.” God yearns for us to cling to Him. Nothing else can fill the void He has so desperately placed in each of our lives.

All humans hope and long for things to make life on this earth worth living. Martin Luther King Jr. hoped for a day when his four children would “live in a nation where they [would] be judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” Dr. King held on to the biblical truth that God had laid out that all people are brothers and sisters in Christ. He filled the void he had with God’s truth and strength which made him stand up for what he believed to be true.

"Have No Right to Happiness"

C.S. Lewis' "Have No Right to Happiness" begs the question of whether or not humans have a right to happiness. Lewis gives the example of a man leaving his wife for another woman. The man's reasoning was that he wanted to be happy, and so left his wife in pursuit of that happiness. Today's society is built on the pursuit of happiness for the individual because it is seen as our right as Americans. In response to this view, Lewis argued that humans in fact do not have any right to happiness.

When I first read this article, I thought that we, as human beings, definitely have a right to happiness. The world tells me every day to pursue happiness in family, in a good job, in money, in friends, etc. We have conformed to the mindset that it is our right to be happy and that we deserve it. As I mulled this thought over in my head, I soon realized that my mindset was completely off. We, as humans, have no right to anything, let alone happiness. When sin entered the world, we lost all rights to anything because we were captured by our sin. God sent His son, Jesus, to earth in order to have mercy on our lost souls. God sent us grace so that we may follow and spend eternity with Him forever. We have no right to anything. It is only because God sent grace that we can pursue happiness that is rooted in Christ. In Philippians 4:4, God calls us to "rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!". I am completely humbled by God's gifts of grace and mercy for His lost children and I find joy in His constant love.

In class, we discussed the difference between happiness and joy. I believe that joy is a long-lasting expression found inwardly in Christ, while happiness is more of an external emotion more rooted in the world we live in. This difference is extremely important when discussing the morality of pursuing happiness. When we pursue happiness, we need to be careful to make sure that it is rooted in God and not for individual gain. This mindset takes a lot of self-control and contentment. Lewis stated, "When two people achieve lasting happiness, this is not solely because they are great lovers but because they are also- I must put it crudely- good people; controlled, loyal, fair-minded, mutually adaptable people."

We have no right to happiness. When we pursue happiness, it is extremely important to make sure it is rooted in God and not fully in the world. I am not saying it is ungodly to make good money or pursue love that would inevitably bring happiness, but it needs to not just be for individual gain, but also for the well-being of others as a part of God's will. Matthew 22:37-39 states, "Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your should and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' True happiness is found in striving to help others and following God's Law.

"Bulverism"

In C.S. Lewis' essay entitled "Bulverism", he discusses the issue of how people argue in the modern age. Lewis explains that Bulverism is the idea of attacking the person instead of attacking the argument at hand. Good examples of Bulverism can be seen in discrimination, in politics, and even in day to day conversation. Lewis states that "you must find out on purely logical grounds which of them do, in fact, break down as arguments. Afterwards, if you like, go on and discover the psychological causes of the error". This logic is extremely important to keep in mind in order to avoid hurt feelings and regretful words. Also, by doing so, one will have the most logical and best constructed argument when compared to those using Bulverism.

While reading and discussing Lewis' essay on Bulverism, I could not help but think of the arguments of philosophers that I had read last semester in Philosophy 153. When philosophers publish a work about what they believe to be true on an uncertain issue, it is inevitable that another philosopher will write an argument of rebuttal stating what they believe is true. I believe that the philosophers did an excellent job of avoiding Bulverism even though it would be easy to attack the other philosopher's character rather than the actual argument.

A good example of avoiding Bulverism is in the correspondence between the philosopher Descartes and Princess Elizabeth of Bohemia. She read Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy and wrote to him about his views on dualism in the body and the soul. Elizabeth did not fully understand Descartes' argument and found some flaws which she addressed. Descartes could have easily dismissed Elizabeth because of the fact that she was not a philosopher. He would not have been frowned upon if he chose not to respond back to her. Instead, Descartes saw that Elizabeth's argument was valid and explained his reasoning to her without attacking her lack of understanding of philosophy. It became clearly evident that both Descartes and Elizabeth had a mutual respect for each other and realized the importance of avoiding Bulverism.

It is so easy in today's society to attack the person rather than the argument at hand. We can learn a lot from philosophers in order to construct an argument properly using respect and understanding. C.S. Lewis did an excellent job of addressing the issue of bulverism and how it is slowly taking over the way people argue and debate.

C.S Lewis' Meditation in a Toolshed

C.S. Lewis' "Meditation in a Toolshed" focused on the idea of looking "at" or "along" a situation in life. He explained that in order to fully understand and relate to someone else, humans need to have a balance between being apart of the situation while also seeing the outside perspective objectively. Lewis' idea coexists with the fact that we need humility when looking at or along a situation because we cannot fully understand the opposing view point. Lewis states that "a physiologist, for example, can study pain and find out that it 'is' (whatever is means) such and such neural events. But the word pain would have no meaning for him unless he had 'been inside' by actually suffering." Humans need to use sympathy when being in contact with the opposing view because, although it may be different, it still has merit.

I agreed with Lewis' view that by understanding and objectively using both views is the most efficient way to approach a situation. This idea can be portrayed when using the example of a man who has a strong faith in God. The man is along the situation because he is emotionally involved with feelings of love and is living his life in a way of complete devotion to God. Now, although an outsider who has never experienced this kind of deep love, might say that it is just the fulfillment of human nature to create a higher being in his brain, the man knows that his faith means so much more than that. I believe that having a healthy balance between the at and along mentalities can be best used in accountability between two people. If the man from the previous example had something tragic happen to him that made his faith falter, it would be extremely important for a friend, who is looking at the situation, to help him get through his hard times by being humble and understanding. Although the friend may not have had such hurt occur in his life, it is still important to help his friend, who is clouded with grief, get back to the healthy relationship with God he once had before.

It is important that the relationship between looking at or along a situation is focused on each individual displaying understanding and humility. Colossians 3:12-14 states, "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them together in perfect unity".