Some Reflections

Dear Malady,

I’m putting my book down for a moment because I want to reflect on your last post. I’m interested in knowing more about how you feel like you’ve grown spiritually? Are there been specific moments or events you can share with me? When we first started this blog, I was anxious about discussing spiritual issues in the ways you and I have now begun to explore. But now, I feel perfectly fine with these discussions.

Now I’m at a point at which I’m asking myself, “What’s next?” I am still not sure what I want from a spiritual life, except that I want to somehow experience life more fully; being aware of every moment of each day, having an open heart for everyone I encounter, being more sure of myself, making decisions with clarity and confidence, and being more joyful. What do you want out of your spiritual life?

I’m intrigued by what you said about people turning to religion simply for comfort. In my own experience, I have mostly found that to be true, too. It troubles me to think that people so often do things to do little more than support or solidify what they already believe. At a minimum, there’s something really dull about that. To resist changing and challenging yourself and what you believe does something to insulate you from the world that is crashing around you. It really limits your experience.

What astounds me the most is when I talk to people who have traveled widely and I discover how limited their experiences often are. They come back from a trip and talk about all the places, people, and things they saw, but their thinking and approach to life doesn’t seem to have changed much. As I remember reading in Paul Theroux’s The Old Patagonian Express, “Travel is pointless unless you intend to change.”

Whether they have traveled or not, I’ve found it hard to find people who integrate their experiences into the growth of their own souls, or whatever they identify as that core part of ourselves that makes us human beings. To me, not sharing (or worse, not even contemplating) that part of your life makes for a lonely and ignorant one—a life that’s little more than a lot of discordant clatter and motion.
You had presented Lewis’s point that religion should start from a place of ‘discomfort and fear.’ The above pretty much describes how I understand his point and what you had discussed in your last post. More thoughts? Vituperation?

-Gary

A Purpose-Driven Life

Dear Gary--

I think you are absolutely correct in thinking that meaning and purpose should be central points of exploration in a Christian life. Even Socrates said that "the unexamined life is not worth living." And by extension of that, I would say that the unexamined Christian life and faith are not worth pursuing.

I think when you are brought up as a Christian, you tend to get complacent in your faith life. People often quit putting a lot of effort in study and growth. And I think this causes tremendous problems when these Christians are confronted with different ideas and ways of thinking. It can be frightening because it feels as if the bedrock of your faith is being attacked and damaged. I think God wants us to ask questions. That is how we learn. We shouldn't take anything, least of all faith, simply at face value. Or because someone has told us we should. That is why I love discussing faith issues with people who think differently than I do. It challenges me to really think about what I believe.

Part of the appeal of Lewis for me is the fact that he takes a very intellectual approach to Christianity. Since he was originally an atheist, I find his thought processes fascinating. What did it take to get an atheist intellectual like Lewis to become a Christian?

I have finally finished Part One of MERE CHRISTIANITY and I love the whole discussion of the Moral Law and the "mind" behind it. His examples are wonderful. I think one of the biggest stumbling blocks for non-believers is the fact that God cannot be PROVEN. And I understand that frustration. It would be nice if science could find incontrovertible truth about the existence of God and then we could all stop arguing about it. But faith doesn't work that way. And if God is the Prime Mover and Creator, it doesn't seem likely we can prove His existence through our conventional means.

I also like how Lewis concludes this section with the fact that religion starts from a place of discomfort and fear. I think many people just turn to religion for comfort. But Lewis has a good point about the problems with the approach. We have to do the work. We have to explore and think and realize and all the other stages of mature spiritual growth. And it can be hard and frustrating and scary and uncomfortable. But, in my experience, that is true of most things worth having.

-Malady

P.S. There is a recent book called the PURPOSE-DRIVEN LIFE that might be worth exploring at a later date. We'll talk more about it later.