"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.