The Weight of Glory

I just finished reading an essay by C.S. Lewis called, "The Weight of Glory". The reason I am writing is 1: to help me soak in what I have read 2: to begin to apply it and 3: to entice you to read it.

As I read Lewis' writing my thoughts were mostly on how I was swept up to think in areas I have not thought before but I would catch myself thinking, How is this practical?...and then I read the last two pages.

All right, back up!

Before I get to that let me just tell you some ideas that stirred me and some quotes I want to think on more.

He talks of the Christian virtues and that we have gone from a positive virtue, love, to just abstinence from sin, unselfishness. This takes away enjoyment. God wants us to enjoy, to desire. (quote) "Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us...we are far too easily pleased."

So then you wonder about the infinite joy, he is talking about Heaven. I have had many conversations with friends about how there are certain things on earth that we want to experience before Heaven. Lewis talks more about us wanting to expericece beauty, sweetness, intimacy. What I learned is that all of this is just a symbol of what is ahead for the Christian and I will only find it truly when i reach its consummation, Heaven. (quote) "To please God...to be a real ingredient in the divine happiness...to be loved by God, not merely pitied, but delighted in as an artist delights in his work or a father in a son- it seems impossible, a weight or burden of glory which our thoughts can hardly sustain. But so it is."

As he goes you get more and more ready for heaven and then you find this sentence. "Meanwhile, the crosss comes before the crown and tomorrow is a MONDAY MORNING." Whoosh, back down to earth. But not it gets to living it out.

We may sit and think too much about our own future glory but its impossible for me to think too much about my neighbors future. This should be "laid on my back".

"There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal."

I am leaving out the last page of this essay whish is truly the best . But I am doing this because I want you to read it. Now pray for me as I now have a responsibility to live out what I've learned. If you read it, you will have this responsibility too. Enjoy!

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