~ C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity
Of course,
there's a slight catch ~ Lewis tells us further that doing a good
turn to just obey the laws of charity or only
to impress God isn't what the rule of love is all about.
We are to treat others as equals in the sight of God. Will we fall head over
heels with everyone ~ no! But we can care for them anyway and begin to
love them ~ or at least like ~ even if they don't love/like us back nor drip
gratitude all over any of our attempts at good deeds. Oh and, remember we are
told by Jesus in the Summary of the Law [in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and
Luke] to love our neighbors as ourselves, that, is as if that neighbor is my
self, me. Sometimes we do love our neighbors as, in the same way that,
we love ourselves, so, perhaps, while working on loving that grumpy, annoying,
irritating, over-extroverted or over-introverted, terribly driving, late night
partying, “get off my lawn” neighbor, we need to examine ourselves more deeply
within. Perhaps what we don’t like most in others is what we don’t like most in
ourselves. It
might help if I keep in mind that the only person I can change is me.
*Eternal Spirit,
Earth-Maker, Pain-Bearer, Life-giver,
Source of all that is and that shall be,
Father and Mother of us all,
Loving God, in whom is heaven...
It is always easier to do good things for people I love and
like. It is downright difficult and even unpleasant to attempt to do nice
things for someone I dislike and all the harder if the dislike is intense!
Sigh....Ok, it's Lent, a time to try on new behaviors, new ways of living
into the love of Christ. SO, for today, I'll take a deep breath and give
up looking down on people I have decided for some reason that I don't
like. I'll take on looking at all people through a
different lens, seeing them as children of God just as I am. At the very least
a kind word with no desire for or expectation of return would be a start.
I'll pray for the tranquility to leave the details of who is
right/wrong/good/bad to God. All I need to do is love others as if they are
myself (and figuring out just how do I love myself) ~ and seeing myself and
another as equal in the eyes of You, our Eternal God. I will definitely need some help with this so You and I
will be talking about this again. amen.
Clive Staples
Lewis (1898-1963) held the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance English at
Cambridge University in England and is considered a significant Christian
writer of his time. An author of more than 30 books, he is best known today
for The Chronicles of Narnia and The Screwtape
Letters.
*The
beginning of an alternative to the Lord's Prayer in A New Zealand
Prayer Book
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