Beginning a Journey

About six months ago, my wife told me I should start a blog. Now, while I enjoy reading blogs, I'm not necessarily the type to enjoy writing one. When I asked her what I should blog about, she suggested that I blog through some C.S. Lewis, ala Julia and Julia. Lewis just so happens to be my favorite author, and he's written more books than I could ever possibly work my way through, so I said I'd think about it.

Fast forward to now. It's a new year so I figured it would be a good time to start reading some more profitable literature than I normally enjoy (currently the Dresden Files series, if anyone is interested).

I'm not about to pretend that I'm qualified to analyze C.S. Lewis. The man knew more about English literature than I can even fathom, and he's widely recognized as one of the most influential authors and Christian apologists of the 20th century. Thus, my goal is not to discover something new in Lewis's writings, nor to come up with some grand commentary that would leave Jack himself astounded at my brilliance. No, my goal is simple: embark on a journey. Another book I'm currently reading points out that an epic journey is the foundation for pretty much all classic literature. So if you're willing, please join me on a journey through a few books that have delighted Christians (and non-Christians, too) for decades.

We will begin our trek with Mere Christianity. It's a wonderful book; a 2006 ChristianityToday list of books that have most influenced evangelicals ranked it at #3. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with it,  Lewis's masterpiece of Christian apologetics makes a straightforward 'argument from morality' to insist that there must be a God and that He must be like the God we find in the teachings of Christianity. Lewis then takes a journey of his own through the Christian virtues, insisting that they are the natural consequence of accepting the God of Christianity. My plan is to cover a chapter or so a week, discussing the themes that jump out at me and trying to help apply some of the timeless truths Lewis explores to our time-bound lives. I hope you will add your comments and fill in the parts that I miss, and correct me when I inevitably get something completely wrong. Next week, we'll dive headfirst into the deep waters of my favorite book Lewis ever wrote, and the first "grown-up" book of his that I ever read.