Friday, February 29, 2008

at the End of It All

"it may be possible for each to think too much of his own potential glory hereafter; it is hardly possible to think too often or too deeply about that of his neighbor. it is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods & goddesses ... there are no ordinary people. you have never talked to a mere mortal. nations, cultures, arts, civilizations - these are mortal. but it is immortals whom we joke with, worth with, marry, snub and exploit ... next to the sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses."

that is c.s. lewis on the 'weight of glory'. we ought not to treat any person dismissively, should not take the advantage where we can get it at the cost of someone else - he goes on to say that "our love should be costly" - we spend it on immortal souls. i wonder how my life would look different if i treated others with, as lewis says, "the kind of merriment which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously - no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption". i want to live that kind of life - aware that each moment & every interaction is an encounter that carries significance beyond today...

2 comments:

kristine said...

amen sister!

Sarah said...

Who is this C.S Lewis guy? He seems like a pretty clever gent... I like.