In my sermons, Emailmeditations, and conversations, I quote C. S. Lewis more than anyone else, other than Jesus Christ. Other than the Holy Spirit, the writings of C. S. Lewis were the most significant influence in my decision to continue to believe in Jesus and not abandon my faith. For almost one hundred years, C. S. Lewis’s books have been describing and defending the Christian faith to tens of millions, influencing the conversion of many to Christianity, and strengthening the faith of many more. These are impressive accomplishments for a late bloomer like Lewis.
By the time I was thirty-three years old, I was a college and seminary graduate, an ordained Lutheran minister with eight years of experience, and already serving my second congregation. When C. S. Lewis was thirty-three years old, he was still an atheist.
By his late 20’s, Lewis was already a brilliant and respected Oxford professor, and, he had some equally intelligent friends who were Christians. They often discussed and debated whether or not it was reasonable to believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, Savior and Lord of us all. Lewis was a powerful debater. In his almost forty years as a professor at Oxford and then Cambridge, he engaged in frequent public debates. He challenged, and was challenged by, some of the best in many areas of study– and he lost only once. Therefore, in his debates with his Christian friends, he could readily defend his atheism and answer all their arguments… until he couldn’t.
First, he became convinced of the existence of God. Then, he came to believe that God was in Christ, “reconciling the world unto himself” (II Corinthians 5:19). And then, C. S. Lewis spent the rest of his life telling the whole world why everyone should believe in Jesus.
In his spiritual autobiography Surprised by Joy, Lewis tells the story of how he lost his faith as a teenager, and then, twenty years later, found his way back; or, as he would say, was found by God. There are many different paths to faith. Lewis’s was one of the mind and the intellect. That was also the path I travelled, away from, and then back to, faith. Not everyone has to travel that road, but everyone should know why they believe what they believe. If one’s faith has no such foundation, in times of trouble or challenge, it can all collapse like a house of cards. Lewis can help us with that. He has helped many people. That is why I quote him so often.
Lewis’s journey back to faith is told in the excellent 2021 film The Most Reluctant Convert: The Untold Story of CSLewis (available free on Amazon Prime, some other streaming services, or, at the link below). It is produced by Max McLean, who plays the older Lewis in the movie. McLean is the actor who performed the entire book of Mark on stage (see Emailmeditation #3242). The movie is well done and it is an inspiring story; though not everyone will find Lewis’s intellectual struggles interesting, as he is answering questions many people are not asking. Many of his writings are far easier to understand than many parts of this movie. But for anyone finding it difficult to believe in Jesus, it would be a most worthwhile use of your time. If Jesus is indeed the Son of God, Savior of the world, you don’t want to miss out by not believing in Him. This is the story of how one brilliant man struggled mightily with his doubts and objections, and eventually, reluctantly, came to realize that Jesus was indeed the Son of God, risen from the dead, who lives and reigns for all eternity, promising eternal life to all who believe in him.
You may view the trailer here:
Or, you may watch the entire 95-minute movie here:
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II Corinthians 5:16-20 — So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here. All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
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God guide me with thy wisdom. God chastise me with thy justice. God help me with thy mercy. God protect me with thy strength. God shield me with thy shade. God fill me with thy grace. For the sake of Jesus. Amen.
–Scottish Celtic prayer
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O Lord Jesus, you are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We pray that you not allow us to stray from you, for you are the Way; nor to distrust you, for you are the Truth; nor to rest in anything besides you, for you are the Life. Teach us what to believe, what to do, and wherein to take our rest. Amen.
–Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536)
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In this interview Max Mclean discusses the movie and C. S. Lewis’s life and impact:
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