The Inner Ring

This reading by C. S. Lewis yet again was written long ago, but is still very relevant to today’s culture and societies around the world. No matter what country you live in there are going to be little groups or friends here and there, cliques of people, gangs, bands etc. There are so many names for what Lewis calls “the inner ring” Lewis wrote “You merely wanted to be ‘in.’ And that is a pleasure that cannot last. As soon as your new associates have been staled to you by custom, you will be looking for another Ring.” This makes me think of all the products that we buy into today and the particular brand that comes to mind is Apple. Right now anything that has an Apple logo is “in” such as the iPhone, iPad, MacBook, iPod. I am not saying that having apple products is a bad thing. I have one myself. Like Lewis said “I am not going to say that the existence of Inner Rings is an Evil. It is certainly unavoidable...But the desire which draws us into Inner Rings is another matter. A thing may be morally neutral and yet the desire for that thing may be dangerous.” I think that when we start making the products we have our little idols that is when it is bad. Many people buy the first new products as soon as Apple puts them up for sale. This is what I like to call “keeping up with the Joneses.” It is a worldwide clique the much of society participates in. Much of society keeps up with the latest Apple products because they want to be “in.”

Also Lewis says that we will always be looking for another ring to enter as soon as we enter into one because we will never be satisfied with what we have. This seems to me the biggest reason why companies, such as Apple, make upgrades because then people who had the first iPhone can now throw that one out and get the one that is better and looks cooler and they can be the first to have is which will give them a societal advantage above all their friends. Of course I am being sarcastic here but isn’t that what businesses in today’s society tell us. That in order to be accepted by our friends and colleagues then we must have the latest and greatest things that money can buy. Because as advertisements tell us, then we will be happy.

I love that Lewis brings us back to reality and tells us that it is not about that at all. God doesn’t care what gadget you have. He cares about what is in your heart, how you treat people and who you really worship. Lewis yet again gave me a different perspective on the simplest thing.