C: C. S. Lewis wrote this poem...

"All this is flashy rhetoric about loving you.
I never had a selfless thought since I was born.
I am mercenary and self-seeking through and through;
I want God, you, all friends, merely to serve my turn.
 
"Peace, reassurance, pleasure, are the goals I seek,
I cannot crawl one inch outside my proper skin;
I talk of love – a scholar’s parrot may talk Greek –
But, self-imprisoned, always end where I begin."
I have begun to awaken to the wider world of which I am a part. I have begun to realize that the crux of all things meaningful is inherently connected to a solidarity with the rest of humanity. We are indeed all in this together.

Is humanity broken? Yes, I believe it is. Is there a solution? Yes; in Christ, I believe there is. But the solution has little to do with good works and nothing to do with formal religion. As much as I grow in my rhetoric of love and social justice, the fact remains that I am still a self-obsessed person in a world of self-obsessed others. So the solution must truly be completely out of my hands, or else there is no hope.

My desire is to grow in love, for Christ and for the world, to the point that in some small way I care more about someone else in something than I care for myself – than I care that people view me as a loving person…than I care that people (and God) don’t judge me for not being a loving person. I want to know the meaning of loving for the sake of love, and not for the sake of self.

Comments

  1. Figuring out your way in a contradictory world will always be the noblest challenge.

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  2. It makes me sad that people seem to need Christ to be good, i.e. can't possibly be good just 'cause it's the right thing. But with that said, I'm glad that Christ makes at least some people behave better than they would without their belief.

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    1. Your comment made me smile. You're right - we should be/do good just because it is the right thing. I guess Christ's example just gives me that much more motivation!

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  3. Perfect love... I don't think I'll attain it this side of heaven.

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    1. You and me both. It's a nice ideal to strive for, though, eh?

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  4. If the solution to the world's problems is out of our hands then there is no reason for anybody to do anything good for others. I believe that the solution is in caring more about others than we do about ourselves and so there's plenty we can all do. If we all truly care more about others than about ourselves then war and hate would be at an end.

    Rosalind Adam is Writing in the Rain

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  5. The 14th Dalai Lama says: Our prime purpose in this life to help others. And if you can't help, then at least don't hurt them. I don't believe that one has to be Christian to follow the Golden Rule.

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    1. Bish, I agree with that entire comment. :) Thank you for commenting.

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  6. i love that poem. And I adore CS lewis.
    Nutschell
    www.thewritingnut.com

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  7. Hello, Melody! That is a beautiful poem. I've read many of C.S. Lewis' novels, but was unaware of his poetry. Thanks for sharing it.

    Happy A to Z-ing! from Laura Marcella @ Wavy Lines

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    1. Laura, I was unaware of it, too. I ran across it in a book I was reading a couple of weeks ago by someone else!

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  8. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  9. Congratulations on a wonderful blog, very homely and inviting.I loved the verse being a poet myself. A great post in every sense of the word. Well done.

    Yvonne ...... your latest follower.

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    1. Thank you for your kind words, Yvonne! And, welcome :). I can't wait to check out your blog!

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  10. I saw you commented on my post today... I cannot reply back to you, as you're a "noreply-comment@blogger.com"... sad face! You should really have it set up so your email address shows and can get responses back!

    I will follow your blog, one fellow geek to another ;)

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    1. I didn't know I was a no-replyer! Thank you for telling me. And thanks for the follow!! :)

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  11. Amen sister!
    CS Lewis was so aware of his own weaknesses. He was amazing.

    Great post xx

    auntyamo
    http://ficticiousamo.wordpress.com/

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  12. Perfect love. Redundant I believe.

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