Modern Examples of the Faith - Pt 4

And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” (Revelation 5:5 ESV).

Our fourth modern example of the faith comes from the area of literature. Scholars thought he would be forgotten in less than a decade. His fellow professors looked down on him because he became a Christian and wrote novels. But the legacy of C.S. Lewis lives on. Perhaps you are most familiar with one of his most famous novels, The Chronicles of Narnia. He has written many others, some of which I will mention later. However, it his life that matter to us. In 1954 C.S. Lewis wrote, "I'm tall, fat, rather bald, red-faced, double-chinned, black-haired, have a deep voice, and wear glasses for reading." In fact, others would have added that his trousers were usually in dire need of pressing, his jackets threadbare and blemished by snags and food spots, and his shoes scuffed and worn at the heels. His physical appearance was never one of his “strong points.” However, his life story has become a powerful force in the encouragement and inspiration of millions. As Lewis continued to read, he especially enjoyed Christian author George MacDonald. One volume, Phantastes, powerfully challenged his atheism. "What it actually did to me," wrote Lewis, "was to convert, even to baptize … my imagination." G.K. Chesterton's books worked much the same way. While MacDonald and Chesterton were stirring Lewis's thoughts, close friend Owen Barfield pounced on the logic of Lewis's atheism. Soon after joining the English faculty at Magdalen College, Lewis met two more Christians, Hugo Dyson and J.R.R. Tolkien. These men became close friends of Lewis. He admired their brilliance and their logic. Soon Lewis recognized that most of his friends held to this Christianity. In 1929 these roads met, and C.S. Lewis surrendered, admitting "God was God, and knelt and prayed." Within two years the reluctant convert also moved from theism to Christianity and joined the Church of England. Almost immediately, Lewis set out in a new direction, most demonstrably in his writing. Lewis's 25 Christian books sold millions of copies, including The Screwtape Letters (1942), Mere Christianity (1952), and the Chronicles of Narnia (1950–56). In spite of his intellectual accomplishments, he refused to be arrogant. The Take-Away: When God calls to us, we are bound to respond, regardless of how far we have strayed. If you feel the least bit drawn to Him, just say yes!