In this work by C.S. Lewis he talks mainly about pain, which should come as no surprise to anyone because it is mentioned in the title of the essay. Lewis says that there are two different kinds of pain, and only one that he wants to really talk about. His second definition of pain is "any experience, whether physical or mental, which the patient dislikes." He goes on to say that pain in this sense "is synonymous with 'suffering', anguish', 'tribulation', 'adversity', or 'trouble, and it is about it that the problem of pain arises." I found these couple of quotes to be interesting because most of the time when I think of pain I think of physical pain, not really the mental or emotional aspect of it. Lewis goes on to say that when we are dealing with our greatest pain, that is what brings us closer to God. I always find it amazing to see people in 3rd world countries that have almost nothing but they still sing and praise God with all their hearts. It's so difficult to find people like that here in America because we are never satisfied and we just want more and more. We don't have anything to really worry about here, so we don't "need" to talk to God as much, at least that's what many people think. Because the people in 3rd world countries are so poor they depend on God for everything, so they must constantly talk to Him. They have so much pain in their lives, and I think that is one reason for why they are so close to God.
A lot of this essay is dedicated to instances when people are doing well and they don't think that they really need God; this is when they forget about Him. Lewis says that when everything is going well with us it is hard to turn to God and thank him for what He has given us. Lewis says, "We 'have all we want' is a terrible saying when 'all' does not include God. We find God as an interuption." I found this quote to be extremely powerful because we all do this at one time or another. I know I do this sometimes and I'm not even aware of it when I do it. I think Lewis's friend said it best when he said that "We regard God as an airman regards his parachute; it's there for emergencies but he hopes he'll never have to use it." This analogy seems perfect because I can easily relate it to my life. It seems that when I have a lot to be thankful for and everything is going well for me, then I don't have as much to say to God in prayer, but when things aren't going well for me then I seem to spend a lot more time in prayer. Unfortunately, I don't think I'm the only one that falls into this problem either.
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I enjoyed your comment on the third world countries praising God's name even though they have nothing. In America we feel as if we have everything that we need so we don't need to rely on God for "our daily bread". Instead of being thankful for everything that God has given us, we constantly want more. If people in third world countries can see God's greatness, why can't America who is given so much? Let us take an example from the third world countries.
ReplyDeletenope, you're not the only one who pays more attention to God when you're in pain. and when you have less material wealth in your life to distract you, like those in 3rd world countries, then becoming closer to God happens much more often. it might be because we aren't supposed to live with as much material wealth as we do...
ReplyDeleteI also really appreciated the quote made by Lewis's friend about God being like an emergency parachute, something we go to only as a last resort. I find myself doing this so often and am so ashamed, its reassuring to know i am not the only one!
ReplyDeleteI think it's part of human's nature to seek for God only when everything else doesnt work. It's a sad and bad habit, a habit that seems very hard to change and that sometimes can only be cured when God "shouts".
ReplyDeleteIt is true that when things are going well we seem to forget about God. We have to remember that all the goodness in the world comes from God, and everything that we have is given to us by him. Forgetting this fact can lead us away from God and that is exactly what the devil wants. We cannot just pray to God when we are in times of suffering, but it needs to be at all times.
ReplyDeleteI think it is true that pain brings us closer to God. When we have to think about something other than ourselves, it can sometimes cause us to think about the important things, such as our relationship with God. I also agree that some of the happiest people are the ones in 3rd world countries, which we can't understand, sitting in our mansions, on our leather recliner, watching a crystal clear TV in a climate-controlled room dedicated solely to a television. Perhaps all these distractions are what keep us from truth in God.
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