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Education Ministry

Posted on January 10, 2006 ...

With the recent release of the film The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, there has been renewed interest in the man who gave us Narnia. Christians have long admired C. S. Lewis for his writing of such classics as Mere Christianity and The Screwtape Letters. Many believe he could have been the most influential Christian thinker of the 20th century. Several biographies have given us the details of his life: His career as an Oxford professor, his close friendship with J. R. Tolkien, and his brief marriage and loss of his wife Joy Davidman. None, however, portrays the character of C. S. Lewis better than a newly published book entitled Jack?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s Life by Lewis?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ step-son Douglas Gresham. Who better to write such an intimate profile than someone who actually lived with Lewis and looked to him as father.

For all of his intellect and creative genius, I have come to admire Jack (as he was known) more for the manner in which he lived his life. Gresham says he has never known a more thorough Christian. By that he means Jack consistently demonstrated the tenets of his Christian faith in every aspect of his life. Not only did Jack believe in Jesus, he believed Jesus and sincerely tried to live what Jesus taught. Space prohibits me from listing the many examples of this. Besides, you would do well to read the book for yourself. Suffice it to say that Jack?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s difficult life provided him with ample opportunities to practice the teachings and example of Christ.

While the history of Jack?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s life is uniquely his, each of us have our own opportunities to be ?¢‚Ǩ?ìthoroughly Christian?¢‚Ǩ¬ù and test whether we believe Jesus as much as we believe in Him. With that we are challenged to be the Christian men and women we profess to be; not as a casual invitation to be ?¢‚Ǩ?ìgood Christians,?¢‚Ǩ¬ù but a serious call to Christ-likeness. As we contemplate thorough Christianity, we soon discover that the true test is not as much about how we behave in public as it is about our private attitudes, thoughts, and conduct. Do we really live as Jesus taught even when no one is looking? Are we sincerely pleased to be the least? The servant? The slave? Do we honestly consider ourselves blessed when persecuted or when our rights are violated? Do we long for righteousness? Are we grieved by sin? Are we absolutely convinced that Jesus is the only way to the Father? And do we sincerely long for people to know Him? Are we as committed to doing God?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s Word everyday as we are to hearing it preached on Sundays?

As we are still in the early days of this new year, many of you are considering your New Year?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s goals and resolutions. Whatever else you have decided to do (or not do) in 2006, I hope you will consider the Christian character of your life. Most of you have already made the decision to believe in Jesus. How about making sure you believe Jesus? Study His life. Learn His teachings. Be His disciple. -- Michael