Giants of the Faith
In preparing for our trip to Oxford in September, I found the book, The Secret History of Oxford by Paul Sullivan, to be interesting. For instance, I had no idea that Oxford was made up of forty-four colleges. [1] Nor did I truthfully realize until reading through chapters two and three all of the famous people who have attend this school through the years. I found the chapter on the buildings to be interesting as well – particularly the part about Tom Tower. [2] I enjoyed learning of it’s history and look forward to seeing the tower in person now.
For this blog, I would like to focus on two of the celebrities that were mentioned in chapter three: Lewis Carroll, who was the author of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and C.S. Lewis, who is a very famous author and theologian among Christians.
Lewis Carroll
I became familiar with the writings of Lewis Carroll as a young child, being thoroughly captivated by Alice and her bizarre adventures from an early age. Paul Sullivan, in his book, describes Carroll as “shy, precise and absorbed in mathematical reverie.” [3] The description goes so far as to peg him as a repressed Puritan. [4] All of these seem opposite portrayals of the antics in his books.
He said in chapter 10 of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, “I can’t go back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.” When I think about perhaps Carroll’s Christian beliefs in light of this line, I think of 2 Corinthians 5:17, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” [5]
Only recently have I explored other writings by Lewis Carroll. In an anthology of letters compiled by Roger Green, Lewis Carroll writes, “One of the secrets of life is that all that is really worth doing is what we do for others.” [6] This puts me in mind of the ‘Golden Rule’ of Scripture found in Matthew 7:12, “Whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” [7]
Having read more from Lewis Carroll, I have a greater respect for him than I did in the beginning when I just knew him for his Alice in Wonderland fame. That’s a good thing.
C.S. Lewis
I have quite a collection of C.S. Lewis books, mostly on Audible, and have read him extensively over the years, beginning with the Narnia books as a teenager. They were my hook, so to speak. An anthology of his writing was published in 2003 that I enjoy entitled A Mind Awake: An Anthology of C.S. Lewis. In it he writes of forgiveness… “I think that if God forgives us we must forgive ourselves. Otherwise, it is almost like setting up ourselves as a higher tribunal than Him.” [8] I love this quote. Forgiving myself is something I struggle with at times. I realize we all mess up. I’m a perfectionist. When I mess up, it just gets all over me. I have a difficult time letting it go and moving on. I need to write this on a card and post it up somewhere that I’ll see it and be reminded of its truth – daily!
Another gem from this anthology deals with God’s love for us. “The great thing to remember is that though our feelings come and go God’s love for us does not.” [9] Praise God! His love for me is not based on feelings – mine or His. His love for me is steadfast. O that my love for Him and others could be just as steadfast as His!
The final quote from C.S. Lewis that I will share comes from his book Joyful Christian. It deals with worship. “In commanding us to glorify Him, God is inviting us to enjoy Him.” [10] Sometimes I think that we miss the mark in our walk with Him, and it might become a drudgery day in and day out. A routine perhaps, more than drudgery. I’m searching for the right words. When in reality, enjoyment and pleasure is His goal for our relationship with Him. There are days when I need reminded of that as well.
Summary
All in all, I am excited to be going to Oxford in September. I am anxious to walk where these giants of the faith have walked – particularly C.S. Lewis. To sit in the hall, and see the same sights. Take it all in.
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[1] Sullivan, Paul, The Secret History of Oxford, Gloucestershire: The History Press, 2013., p.40.
[2] Sullivan, Paul, The Secret History of Oxford, Gloucestershire: The History Press, 2013., p.140-142.
[3] Sullivan, Paul, The Secret History of Oxford, Gloucestershire: The History Press, 2013., p.128.
[4] Sullivan, Paul, The Secret History of Oxford, Gloucestershire: The History Press, 2013., p.128.
[5] Crossway Bibles, ed. 2007. ESV: Study Bible: English Standard Version. ESV text ed. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. p.1457.
[6] Carroll, Lewis & Roger Green, The Selected Letters of Lewis Carroll. Springer, 1989., p.200.
[7] Crossway Bibles, ed. 2007. ESV: Study Bible: English Standard Version. ESV text ed. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. p.1213.
[8] Lewis, C.S., A Mind Awake: An Anthology of C.S. Lewis. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2003., p.148.
[9] Lewis, C.S., A Mind Awake: An Anthology of C.S. Lewis. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2003., p.84.
[10] Lewis, C.S., Joyful Christian. Simon and Schuster, 1996., p.120.
About the Author
Tonette Kellett
Missionary, teacher, Bible student, traveler ... Having lived in Kenya and Korea, I now live in Mississippi and work with the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.7 responses to “Giants of the Faith”
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Hi Tonette, I love you commentary on Lewis Carroll. It reminds me of visiting the Picasso Museum in Barcelona. I went only because I was going with friends. Prior to going, I had no respect for Picasso as an artist. I thought any five year old could do what he did. Seeing his earlier work showed me his talent and that his later work was a specific choice. Basically, it turned around my understanding of him as an artist. Likewise, I had not previously known Carroll to be a Christian. I love how you showed the Biblical foundations in his writings. How will you read his writings differently in the future and how will his work inspire you when visiting Oxford? Also, I think now I need to dig into my Alice in Wonderland fabric and make some more lanyards!
Hi Becca,
Thank you for your response. I think being aware of things that Lewis Carroll writes outside of his famous writings helps to understand him better as an individual – as it would any author. That influences how I perceive what that author writes.
My favorite still is by far C. S. Lewis. 🙂
I enjoyed your post this week! Looking forward to seeing you soon.
It is amazing how we have all interpreted the same book in many different ways. I like that you have chosen to high light Gods love for us and how we should treat others. through this program and the global experiences that you have had do you think that spreading this love is the key to many of our problems?
Hey Shonell,
Thank you for your post. It is my firm belief that the steadfast love of God is the key to all of our problems. Either accepting that love of Christ in our own lives, or sharing it with others. It is exactly what this mixed-up world needs.
Looking forward to seeing you soon.
Hi Tonette
Great post! I enjoyed the highlight of two great figures of Oxford.
I was not familiar with Lewis Carroll, as a person. I really like this quote you shared, “I can’t go back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.”
I have been working on being kinder to Future Chad. It reminds me that I should not be so critical of Past Chad.
Tonette,
What an awesome post. I particularly appreciated how you were able to tie in Bible scriptures with the reading.
I have not studied Lewis Carroll beyond Alice in Wonderland and I thought what you shared was insightful. The quote you used, “I can’t go back to yesterday, because I was a different person then,” reminded me of the new creation as well. However, I also thought about how we sometimes fail to see the new creation in people and we continue to treat them based on how we remember their old nature.
I’m curious if you have observed this behavior?
Tonnette,
We had such a great adventure…. what was one thing that you found surprising about one of these authors as you learned more in person in England….?