Heaven and Earth

At the risk of being CS Lewis heavy in my advent, I can’t help but associate him with many of my thoughts related to Christmas. Today is the day of the annual CS Lewis Institute Christmas Tea. For two short hours, current and former fellows and their guests gather together to drink tea, share life, and reflect on the positing of Lewis regarding the Christmas season. The day ends with everyone singing carols to one another in a grand display of fellowship and community.

And, for just a brief moment, we feel as if we are living in Oxford and attending some type of Inklings meeting.

I didn’t take any notes last year (Yes, I’ve been known to take notes at something as casual as tea), but I do recall this Lewis quote:

“Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.”

Not that the notion was nascent, but on that particular day it did strike me.
And, looking ba
ck a year later, I have to wonder if, after it struck me, did it actually change me? Biblical truth is not merely for savoring. It is for marinating, infiltrating, and eventually transforming the fabric of our lives. Life is a challenge and sometimes it seems as if God is asking us to do a little more than we are capable, hurt a little longer than we are comfortable, surrender a little more than we can afford, be humble in a way that is more than conceivable. And despite this, He has never asked for anything more than He has ever given himself.

If He aimed only at earth, there would be no prospect of heaven for us.
Some days, the hope of heaven coming is the only hope that progresses us through the day. Life may be beautiful, but it is not without hardship or messiness. Jesus’ birth meant the rise of authenticity to our lives. With authenticity comes mess, comes grace, comes forgiveness, and so much more.
We can pursue earthly excellence like the Pharisees or we can pursue authenticity with Christ like the disciples. If we choose the former, it’s all we will ever get. If we choose the latter, we get heaven with earth thrown in.

This is not a new notion, but certainly one to consider this advent season.

Praying as we pursue heaven together!