"The Son of God suffered unto the death, not that men might not suffer, but that their sufferings might be like His."
George MacDonald, Unspoken Sermons-First Series
This the preface to "The Problem of Pain" by C.S. Lewis from "The Complete Signature Collection" that I have owned about ten years; bought shortly after I was saved when I was 25. At the same time I bought this book, I also purchased "The virtue of selfishness" by Ayn Rand. Those two books and the Bible were all I read for 2 years, after finally surrendering my life to God. This was a humbling time, I truly had nothing left of me but the love of a saviour who gave his life for me and the love of my my family who had great hope for me and what God was trying to do with my life.
So these three books - a book written by God Himself (to learn about God), another book written by a intellectual former atheist who was saved by that God and the Bible he wrote (to learn about my new believing self), and yet another book written by a woman who thought that man was an “abysmal bastard,” a “monstrosity,” a “cheap, awful, miserable" idiot whose ideas were nothing short of "bullshit" (in order to learn about the world).
The C.S.Lewis book from which this George MacDonald quote came is actually seven of his books in one. I have read most, but have never seriously read, "The Problem of Pain"... preferring "Mere Christianity" and "The Screwtape Letters".
I have experienced my share of pain (self inflicted, circumstantial, emotional, physical) in my life....seeking comfort in the world and my selfish pursuits; trying to turn pain in to pleasure or devising ways to avoid it all together - reviving the natural/old man); the Ayn Rand approach. And I have done little in the ways of letting it bring me closer to understanding and loving God; the Jesus/C.S. Lewis approach.
I am thoroughly convinced that how a person deals with pain reveals if they are living as a natural man (old man) or a spiritual man (new man). Walking in the newness of life or being conformed to the image of the world.
On day three of being sick (yet again), I do not believe it was a coincidence that I picked up this book today.
“We can ignore even pleasure. But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world....No doubt pain as God's megaphone is a terrible instrument; it may lead to final and unrepented rebellion. But it gives the only opportunity the bad man can have for amendment. it removes the veil; it plants the flag of truth within the fortress of the rebel soul.” ― C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain
Rand believed that pain was a - warning signal of danger, indicating that the organism is pursuing the wrong course of action, that something is impairing the proper function of its body, which requires action to correct it. - that action being rebellion against the pain.
Lewis saw that it's our reaction to pain that can either lead to an act of sin (rebellion) or repentance. He saw virtue in surrender and repentance. She saw virtue in rebellion.
It is high time I learn to accept pain for what it truly is in this "earthly life" and let it transform me (new man behavior) rather than try to "make it stop" with comfort or knowledge (old man survival behavior) prolonging the life of the natural man. So I'm giving this book a whirl. I expect to find this:
The problem is not pain; but it is in letting our natural man responed to the pain rather than the spiritual man. We must surrender. Accept. Partake in the suffering of Christ. Die to self. Be ye transformed... ((be the new spiritual man)).
(L)ove,
-k.
.JPG)
