Lewis asks just one question in this article. Can both Christians and non-Christians live good lives? He quickly answers the question with a strong "yes" however there is still a difference in their lives that comes out through their daily activities. I think that Lewis' purpose in writing this essay is to write to Christians telling them this is how you should act but right now you are acting a lot like a moral non-Christian. Lewis is very straightforward with this article, as he is with all his articles.
Lewis writes about questions that non-Christians may ask about becoming a Christian such as "Need I bother about it? Mayn’t I just evade the issue, just let sleeping dogs lie, and get on with being ‘good’? Aren't good intentions safe and blameless without knocking at that dreadful door and making sure whether there is, or isn't someone inside" Lewis seems to show disgust at the thought of this. He accused people who ask those questions of being lazy and cowards and intentionally turning away from God. They keep their morals, but do not want to do more than that. That is where Christians are called to be different. Christians and non-Christians can be moral beings but Christians are called to take it a step further by not only being moral, but being knowledgeable so that they can help in any situation. Lewis gives the example of knowing medical science. “If you had no knowledge of medical science, you would probably give him a large solid meal; and as a result your men would die. That is what comes from working in the dark.” Christians do not need to “work in the dark.” We need to use the light of the Lord that we were given. This reminds me of the importance of getting a good education, such as the education that Calvin gives. As college students we are equipping ourselves with the information we need to know in order to be successful in helping others through this life on earth.
Lewis yet again reminds us how we are to live as good Christians. This is extremely important because, as Lewis says in other writings that our actions do not only impact us but they impact how people see God because we are little Christs. We live for God.
I like how you talked about keeping your morals as not being what Christianity is about but rather we need to follow God and his light. I also liked that you ended with a call to live out our faith as good Christians. As simple as it seems it is so hard to carry out and we must constantly be remind of our main vocation in life; to serve God.
ReplyDeleteAbi, how true it is that we need to not just have morals but also knowledge. We must be marinated in the love of God and spread His love in every region that we work. I need to live each day as a true servant of the most high God and faithfully follow His teaching. I also liked how you used the quote about not working in the dark. This reminded me of the song that the Ribeiro's shared one day called "Carry Your Candle."
ReplyDeleteWhile using knowledge is an important part of being a Christian, I took something different away from this article. I think the thing that Lewis was trying to emphasize was that, because we know that God is real, we must act differently. A Christian's main goal should not be "to be moral", it should be furthering God's kingdom.
ReplyDeleteIt can't be any more true. Morality is only a small part of life - which in itself is not even achievable. You're right, the biggest part of life is gaining to knowledge and being able to apply that to any situation in life.
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