In his sermon, “Learning in War-Time”, C. S. Lewis addresses the fact that Christians are constantly at war. He wonders why we would want to waste any time learning about mathematics or science when we are constantly moving either towards heaven or hell. Before he became a Christian, Lewis didn’t understand why a Christian would want to learn these things, but after his conversion he came to a realization: “Before I became a Christian I do not think I fully realized that one’s life, after conversion, would inevitable consist in doing most of the same things one had been doing before: one hopes, in a new spirit, but still the same things.” After becoming a Christian, Lewis realized that his daily routine was somewhat similar, but his attitude towards life was different. I found it interesting to see Lewis’s perspective on a Christian life before he himself was a Christian because I have been a Christian my whole life so I never experienced life what life is like without the constant battle of sins that Christians face.
Lewis comes to the conclusion in this sermon that humans learn because they have a thirst for knowledge. God gives us this thirst because in our hunt for knowledge, we can grow closer to God ourselves, or we can help others to grow closer towards Him. Another reason that we should learn is because the ungodly are constantly learning. Lewis says that if the whole world were Christian, we would not have to be educated, but this is not the case. Because the wicked develop and study their philosophy, we must develop and study our philosophy as well so that we can be prepared for the attacks of the wicked. “Good philosophy must exist, if for no other reason, because bad philosophy needs to be answered.” In our studying though, we must be careful that when we learn, we do not come to love knowledge more than the thing that we are learning about.
I like how you pointed out that Lewis has a perspective of someone before and after Christianity. I am in the same boat as you, so I don't really know what that is like either. Although, I have to confess that I go through days where I don't even have the right attitude- I act and think no differently. That is why Lewis' thought is so convicting.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you gave notice to Lewis's attention to our thirst for knowledge - all humans have it and all can use it to better themselves or to better society (and sometimes both can happen). I think it's interesting that, like the examples in class yesterday on abortion, euphinasia, and stem cell research, scientific developments in the persuit and name of knowledge and betterment of society have been twisted so that instead of helping (though they can help in some cases, like eptopic pregnancies and the like) they bring harm to society. I had no idea that women in the prime age for having children are the ones that abort their children! (Though I do not think this a good reason to make all abortion illegal). And in any case, no matter what humanity does to twist and stain something that was developed with the intention of helping it, God can still use it for good - and does!
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