25 June
Let's Pretend
What do we do next? What difference does all the theology make? It can start making a difference tonight. If you are interested enough to have read thus far you are probably interested enough to make a shot at saying your prayers: and, whatever else you say, you will probably say the Lord's Prayer.
Its very first words are Our Father. Do you now see what those words mean? They mean quite frankly, that you are putting yourself in the place of a son of God. To put it bluntly, you are dressing up as Christ. If you like, you are pretending. Because, of course, the moment you realise what the words mean, you realise that you are not a son of God. You are not a being like The Son of God, whose will and interests are at one with those of the Father: you are a bundle of self-centered fears, hopes, greeds, jealousies, and self-conceit, all doomed to death. So that, in a way, this dressing up as Christ is a piece of outrageous cheek. But the odd thing is that He has ordered us to do it.
Why? What is the good of pretending to be what you are not? Well, even on the human level, you know, there are two kinds of pretending. There is a bad kind, where the pretence is there instead of the real thing; as when a man pretends he is going to help you instead of really helping you. But there is also a good kind, where the pretence leads up to the real thing. When you are not feeling particularly friendly but know you ought to be, the best thing you can do, very often, is to put on a friendly manner and behave as if you were a nicer person than you actually are. And in a few minutes, as we have all noticed, you will be really feeling friendlier than you were.
—from Mere Christianity
1918 Lewis is moved to a convalescent home in Ashton Court near Clifton, Bristol, to complete his recovery from battle injuries.
| June 25
The heart knoweth his own bitterness; and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy (14:10).
The woman was in shock at the death of her husband. They had been married for fifteen years, and she had settled into the idea that they would be together forever. She couldn't quite believe that it was true. Every once in awhile she would walk through the house just to make sure he wasn't there somewhere.
Her friends had been so kind and helpful, but she was glad they were gone now. She thought if she heard one more person tell her they knew exactly how she felt she would scream. They didn't know. They couldn't. Somehow it was different. She'd said the same thing on a number of occasions, but never again. It didn't do anything to help. Her pain was her own, and there was no way that anyone could share it.
It is good to have friends that care, but we can have no greater friend than Jesus Christ. Christ dwells within our heart, and so he is the only one who can honestly comfort us when our heart is broken. Christ is as close to us as we are to ourselves. He is a part of us, and when we suffer, He suffers, but also when we rejoice, He rejoices with us. We are one with Christ, and it is so good to know that we never have to face life alone. He is with us in good times and bad, and He will never leave us.
prayer: Christ Jesus, you know me to the very depth of my being. Dwell within my heart, and grace it with your strength and love. Let me feel your presence within me. guide me, protect me, stay with me, I pray. Amen.
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