C.S. Lewis

Friday was a beautiful day. It was my last day at work. I opted to leave early at 10:00. As I was leaving work I received a phone call. As soon as the phone started to vibrate I removed it from my pocket and glanced at the screen that provides me with information regarding the caller. This information manifests itself in one of three ways. Option one: It may appear as a phone number, indicating to me that it is an unknown caller. Option two: The screen shows the name of the caller; that name and number having been previously programmed into my phone because it is an associate with whom I have communicated with via telephone in times past. Option three: My glance (I was going to write 'gaze', but let's be honest; I don't gaze at my phone. That would be awkward, even for me) reveals an image, a picture of the caller, which I have formerly taken with my camera phone and programmed in as part of the contact information for the given caller.

When I looked down at my phone at 10:00am on Friday morning I was thrilled to see the image of Sister Crockett and her beautiful smile, a picture which I had taken the night before. Sister Crockett, wife of my mission president, and one of my heroes and favorite people of all time, had called because she was on her way to Provo for Education Week. Yay! That knowledge provided the necessary motivation I needed to register to attend classes that day and I was able to spend several hours wearing a name tag around my neck and, in the process, experience my first Education Week as a participant. And, best of all, I was able to spend several hours with Sister Crockett. And thus Friday was a fabulous day.

Anyway...the first class that I attended was presented by S. Michael Wilcox and essentially was a course on C.S. Lewis. I love the theological writings of Clive Staples Lewis. I will admit that I am not the best versed reader, but what I am familiar with I love. I have long considered Mere Christianity to be on of my favorite books and am also quite fond of Screwtape Letters and The Great Divorce. I have only ever read those three books.

I have recently started reading The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. I received a copy of it as a gift from Sister Crockett at the close of the day. Children's books and pondering things of eternal significance are two of the things I love most. And so it is quite amazing that I have never before attempted to read the Chronicles of Narnia. Well, I am remedying that. Better late than never. I'm excited to read and ponder and gain insight into things of eternity as I read this classic piece of children's literature.

This evening I watched the movie of The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. Perhaps I ought to have finished reading the book first, but I do not regret my decision. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. I love having some insight into some of the intended symbolism. And I love that about half-way into the movie I had to ascertain a set of scriptures to look up some of the verses that I was reminded of. During the scene when the great lion Aslan willingly walked through the jeering, taunting crowd towards an impending death, a sacrifice to save Edmund, I thought of 1 Nephi 19:9 and also 2 Nephi 9:21. I was intrigued by the strong "magic" referred to that seemed to represent eternal laws by which all, even the lion, are inescapably governed. So much good stuff. I'm excited to read the books, and I'm more excited to study the scriptures.

I am aware that there can be some danger in trusting too much in the interpretations of others in regard to the gospel. And I'm also aware that symbolism, especially when is man-made, is not absolute or necessarily grounded in complete truth. The word of God is my standard of truth. It is the standard of measuring what is real and true and eternal. I am so grateful for the scriptures--God's revealed word to His ancient prophets, and I am grateful for modern prophets who continue to receive revelations of God's ways and will. I love truth!

Anyway, I am a fan of C.S. Lewis. I am a fan of those who seek truth, especially when they grasp it and apply it and seek to share the joy of it with others. It's good stuff.

This entry is quite long enough, but to conclude, here is one of my favorite C.S. Lewis quotes:

"It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or the other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is in the awe and circumspection proper to them that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations--these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit--immortal horrors or everlasting splendours." C.S. Lewis