uncluttered believer

There’s a great summary of what one person thinks were the central ideas of C.S. Lewis’ professional works. It’s helpful to have an idea of what other people think a great writer is generally on about, especially when there is a large body of work that seems inaccessible. I’m looking forward to getting some more Lewis under my belt this year, but if you don’t know where you want to start, what’s the best way to approach a body of literature?

I’d say, pick one of the topics that the author writes about that interests you immediately. Read the works that address that and if no other works or topics get you interested as part of that, go back to someone else’s summation of the body of work, and pick another topic (or stop, as you might just not be interested in what this author has to say after all).

So, here is one person’s summary of what C.S. Lewis wrote about over the course of his career. Naturally, being a good Christian writer, there are seven topics:

1. Chronological Snobbery
2. Desire
3. Imagination
4. Absolutes v. Relativism
5. Myth
6. Immortality
7. Comprehensiveness

I have no idea where I’m going to start, except that I’ve always wanted to read Surprised by Joy, a partial autobiography because it involves a German concept of Sehnsucht which I love. Sehnsucht is the idea that there is a deep, positive longing that exists and Lewis uses it to describe part of his salvation.

Creator of all things, true source of light and wisdom,
origin of all being,
graciously let a ray of your light penetrate
the darkness of my understanding.
Take from me the double darkness
in which I have been born,
an obscurity of sin and ignorance.
Give me a keen understanding,
a retentive memory, and
the ability to grasp things correctly and fundamentally.
Grant me the talent of being exact
in my explanations and the ability to express myself
with thoroughness and charm.
Point out the beginning,
direct the progress,
and help in the completion.
I ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Pentecost just came and went for another year. This image was created as part of the old and new project.

Churches around the world were believing for a million people to be baptised in the Holy Spirit at pentecost. I have no idea yet if that number was reached but I sure know the HS rained down in awesome ways at our evening service. There were new gifts, healings, and the refreshing, encouraging and strenghtening presence of God among it all.

What a privilege to be used as His servant.