Well, I finished Miracles by C.S. Lewis last night. I had wanted to finish this and Ivanhoe by the end of June. I thought that would be fine since I had the weekend. Then our power went out. Matt has been using my Kindle which is where Ivanhoe is stored. Baby has needed more attention because we have been camping out at the office and not at home with his bouncer and bumbo and other places we put him.
So, Miracles. When you pick up anything by Lewis you expect to think. Yes, including the Chronicles of Narnia if read correctly. I love the philosophical insights he has even in those children's stories. I was interested in Miracles because miracles are... extraoridinary. But, they are also ordinary, as they happen every day in some form or another.
I plan to write my thoughts on the books I read. Not give a comprehensive analysis. So please don't expect that.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. I love that Lewis gets me thinking, that I agree with most but not all of his views, and that he is extremely witty. He made clear, concise arguments on the existence of miracles. He was interesting enough to hold my attention and intellectual enough to be held as an expert.
A few quotes I found especially thought provoking:
"Why, it would be asked, should He create one speck and leave all the rest of space to nonentity?" I have often thought that there may be other universes out there with intelligent life. Why not? Why would we, humans on earth, need to know about other universes and their business? I have ended these thoughts with, "If I were God, I would!" in a silly manner. But why not?
"The sceptic asks how we can believe that God so 'came down' to this one tiny planet. The questions would be embarrassing if we knew 1) that there were rational creatures on any of the other bodies that float in space; 2) that they have, like us, fallen and need redemption..." Lewis lists more, but I like that second numeral. How embarrassing indeed. And how arrogant. We assume that if there is intelligence out there it also must have fallen in the same manner humanity did.
In speaking about Jesus Christ, "The discrepancy between the depth and sanity and (let me add) shrewdness of His moral teaching and the rampant megalomania which must lie behind His theological teaching unless He is indeed God, has never been satisfactorily got over." I have used the argument that if Jesus was not the Son of God, then He was not a "good man" like non-believers often like to say. If He was not the Son of God, then He was the biggest liar on the face of the planet.
So, in sum, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to my thinking friends. Many people do not enjoy reading, so fluff novels are best for them. For those who enjoy reading and stretching their minds, Miracles is an excellent book.
Side note: I enjoy Lewis very much. I read through the Chronicles of Narnia annually. I cannot believe this is the first time I have read Miracles. What have I been missing?
