C.S. Lewis Living in an Atomic Age

 

 I have seen a few quote out there from C.S. Lewis "Living in the Atomic Age" During Covid. Here is my favourite from that article. Hers is early defined as Nature.

"It is our business to live by our own law not by hers: to follow, in private or in public life, the law of love and temperance even when  they  seem  to  be  suicidal,  and  not  the  law  of  competition  and  grab,  even when they seem to be  necessary to our  survival. For it is part of our spiritual law never to put survival first: not even the survival of our species. We must resolutely train  ourselves  to  feel  that  the  survival  of  Man  on  this  Earth,  much  more  of  our own  nation  or  culture  of  class,  is  not  worth  having  unless  it  can  be  had  by honourable and merciful means. The  sacrifice  is  not  so  great  as  it  seems.  

 

Nothing  is  more  likely  to  destroy  a species or a nation than a determination to survive at all costs. Those who care for something else more than civilization are the only people by whom civilization is at all likely to be preserved. Those who want Heaven must have served Earth best. Those who love Man less than God do most for Man."

 

God help us to love you first above all else

God help us to put others above ourself

God teach us to listen to you

God teach us to follow you

God help us when the going gets tough

Response to Comment from Oct 23, 2019

The metaphor of the potter and the clay is an interesting one. 

If God is all knowing he would know from the beginning that a "pot" or piece of clay won't work out. He would also know how they will turn out and how it fits into the grand progression of time. Does that stop God from working on "bad" clay and trying to make it into a pot? Do some pots require many "re-works" before they can be turned into the "pot" God desires (and the "re-works" are part of the process)?

I think the metaphor of the potter and the clay actually shows freewill more than predestination in that the clay has a choice to adhere to the potters hands or not. I find the metaphor actually lessens God into that of a human potter. We actually have to change how we see the potter into that something more like God while we very nicely fit into the category of hard clay.

We are the clay and have free will to choose. God sees the choice we are going to make. Even if God can see the choice we are going to make I believe that does not remove our freedom and power to make the choice. Even if we choose in the end not to pick God I believe it does not stop the potter from trying his hardest with many re-works to change the clay into a pot (until the clay is unworkable). This still does not change that if in the end if the clay does not listen it gets thrown out. I believe this is the love of God that we are to try to emulate. Even if people are lost we are to try to love them like God.

"But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." Matthew 5:44-45

God's Love

1 John 3:1 "What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we’re called children of God! That’s who we really are...."

I am learning how self talk is really important. I used to be overwhelmed by how great God is and how insignificant we are. God has told me I need change how I view myself and change my self talk when I feel how insignificant we are. Even though we are so insignificant I need to focus how marvelous the "love the Father has extended to us!" This still keeps our perspective in line but changes my feeling of worth. Even though we are insignificant God Love is deeper. I truly feel we could not completely feel all the love that God has for us and if God were to show us we would be overwhelmed.

God help us to see and feel your Love for us
God help us to change our thoughts to your thoughts
God help us to listen to you
God help us to trust you
God show us a bit of your love for us this week