By: Niki Deutsch
OH the things we need to wrestle with – some are obvious to us and not to others; some are obvious to others and not to us! Lewis really captures how in our lives, some sins are hidden “gods” that started out as good things – and how other sins are blatantly wrong to begin with and we simply chose to disobey outright. Both can become strongholds and both must be dealt with. And, then there is love…in chapter 12. How do I summarize two brilliant chapters?
Chapter 11:
There are two distinct responses to sin in this story. One is better. Here goes…
Sometimes we cannot see our sin – or refuse to acknowledge it:
First we meet the ghostly woman, “Pam”, who on earth was quite intense about her natural love for her son – to the point where some drastic measure had to be taken (his death) in the hopes of steering her love toward Someone else.
Feeling quite pious (and offended that her “love” wasn’t honored here), she defended her “love” for her son as “the highest and holiest feeling in human nature.” I loved the bright person’s response: “Pam, Pam – no natural feelings are high or low, holy or unholy, in themselves. They are all holy when God’s hand is on the rein. They all go bad when they set up on their own and make themselves into false gods.”
In our reading, we never know if she finally admits the Truth, nor do we know if there is even the smallest deposit of God in her. But we do have Lewis explain how some things that start out as natural affections can turn into good and holy affection – or not. And, Lewis goes further than natural mother-love. Many good things in our lives can turn into destructive things (if it turns away from God):
“Everything else is good when it looks to Him and bad when it turns from Him. And the higher and mightier it is in the natural order, the more demonic it will be if it rebels. It’s not out of bad mice or bad fleas you make demons, but out of bad archangels. The false religion of lust is baser than the false religion of mother-love or patriotism or art: but lust is less likely to be made into a religion.”
Sometimes we are well aware of our sin – have admitted to it, but to rid ourselves of it feels like death:
And so Jack then moved onto another very important lesson and comparison – the necessity of absolute destruction and removal of the more obvious, baser sins in our lives. And what a reward for letting God destroy the things that are trying to destroy us!
We meet the ghost man who was struggling with some form of a baser sin. He carried the personification of that sin – a demon, if you will – on his shoulder and it’s influence revealed itself in the ghost’s dingy looking composition. The very presence of such a creature in the edge of heaven was terribly embarrassing to the man, for he was well aware that it should not be with him at all. The very ugly, crimson reptile whispered vile things into the man’s mind through out the entire process of ridding himself of the creature.
At the beginning, an Angel of Burning Light asks of the whispering reptile, “Would you like me to make him quiet?”
“Of course I would,” said the Ghost. “Then I will kill him,” said the Angel.
Oh, what a struggle the ghost man has – he doesn’t want to go through the pain to be free. His death seems certain! Have you ever been in this place where, to kill this sin (whatever that sin may be), is like the death of you?
At one point in this discussion, the Angel says, “There is no other day. All days are present now.” And, “this moment contains all moments”. Translation: NOW is the time for action – do not delay.
Finally, after the man struggles to put the necessary killing off for a while, with the reptile whispering lies throughout, the dear Ghost eventually gives the go ahead to the burning angel. Kill it. The man was heard whimpering at the end: “God help me! God help me!” And God did help him! He was transformed into be a new, glorious free man – and the dead lizard became his glorious stallion. Wouldn’t that be just like God? Not only can he transform our lives, but also the sin. Can it get any better than that.
5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.[b] 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
The man certainly was renewed. Like Lewis pondered at the end of this chapter, I wonder, too, what the mother’s transformation would have been like, had she humbled herself, admitted her sin or lack, and asked God for help?
Chapter 12:
I long to love others in such a way that they love their friends and family better! What did you think of this lady and her grand procession as she goes to talk to the pitiful and selfish dwarf ghost (and his tall Tragedian on a chain)? I admired her life on earth, the way she loved. Her love and joy in heaven were fierce, weren’t they? I’m still wondering what this little man and his pet man are all about…
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There are so many perspectives on both chapters…please share what you saw in them! If you need a spring board, here’s a few: What good thing have we made into a false-religion that could separate us from God? Is there anything that we need to let God destroy in our lives right now, while there is still time? Or, rather, have you had a similar experience with this kind of Godly intervention that you can share? And finally…who/what are the little man and his chained “friend”?
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