-Laurie Benson 2021
Inspired by The New C.S. Lewis Movie in Theaters Now
We have our doubting Thomas,
The Prodigal son, and
The Reluctant Convert, C.S. Lewis,
who says that,
“The hardness of God is kinder than
the softness of men and His
compulsion is our liberation."
I don’t pretend to know what
"His compulsion is our liberation" means,
but it sounds big.
Big enough to contain all
the doubts, worries, sorrows,
the giving up and giving in that
each day brings.
It sounds like hope, for all of us.
"Kinder than the softness of men?"
More kind than a mother
stroking the downy sweet
cheek of her newborn?
Kinder than praying for
the rescue team and ambulances
trying to get there to
clean up wreckage on the
freeway from a terrible
accident. Sending love
because there is nothing
else to do but stare.
This compulsion to
pray gives me liberation.
On a fateful Sunday.
A Bishop told me once that
the Lord wasn’t worried about
Laurie Benson. God is that big, he
is that liberating. He is that persistent,
with reluctant converts, like me.
When I realized
the movie was really resonating
with me in so many ways,
I realized that this man, C.S. Lewis
knew how to write just for me.
He speaks my language, he opens
my mind and clears my heart.
Perhaps, God helped him do that,
for me, for him, for you, for
his friends, and mine.
Converting reluctantly
and without ease of being
accepted. He said he was
A “Theist,” not an Atheist. The
A is removed from the word
Because, “The,” means the
one true living Christ for
his
Mere Christianity.
I’ll try to be more, “The,” as
I go about my week. Turning
toward the light, things that bring
joy and patience. After all,
it is Mere Christianity.
Comments