Category: The Christian Spirit

Reflections on living as a disciple of Christ.

Whittaker Chambers & Psalm 91

  

When Whittaker Chambers was making his testimony against Alger Hiss, his former associate in the communist underground, the stress of the situation was sometimes overwhelming. But encouragement can come in many forms. In his classic autobiography Witness, he remarks on one of those means of encouragement: In those days, came the first of a series of letters that I was to receive throughout the Hiss Case. They came almost weekly and, in the depths of the Case, sometimes twice a… Read more »

Lewis: Faithful Correspondent

  

It’s been both a revelation and a joy to be able to sit in my study and systematically go through C. S. Lewis’s collected letters, concentrating on the correspondence he had with Americans. He became quite personal with a good number of regular correspondents, sharing tidbits of his life and offering whatever advice he could when they asked questions regarding the Christian life. One of those letters, from January 1954, may provide a perfect example of how he combined the… Read more »

Lewis’s Humor: An Example

  

My sabbatical has given me more time than usual to simply sit and read—all for a purpose, of course. One of my projects is a proposed book on C. S. Lewis’s influence on Americans, so I am enjoying reading through his collected letters, sorting out those addressed to Americans. A couple days ago I came across one letter that was rather amusing. Lewis is well known as someone who felt more linked, academically and emotionally, to earlier ages than his… Read more »

The Lewis Project Update

  

My last two posts provided an update on my sabbatical with respect to research into spiritual advisers to presidents. Another project I’ve been working on is my desire to write a book on the influence of C. S. Lewis on Americans. I’ve posted before about my attempt to collect testimonies from Americans on how reading Lewis has impacted their thinking and their relationship with the Lord. The Marion E. Wade Center at Wheaton College has been the conduit for receiving… Read more »

Lessons of the Reagan Ranch

  

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, the second treat of this past week was the opportunity to trek up to the Reagan Ranch. And I do mean “up.” I’m not one for heights, especially when there is a massive dropoff on the edge of a narrow road that twists and turns constantly. But if you survive that harrowing experience, you eventually make it to the top and see this: Doesn’t look like a mansion fit for a president, does it?… Read more »

Halfway Christians?

  

Any endeavor for God can start out with the best of motives and still go wrong eventually. I have a prime example from Puritan history. If you’ve been following my posts on the unfolding of American history, you may remember that when the Puritans migrated and set up Massachusetts, they had a rule that only church members could vote. It seemed reasonable at the time, especially since they wanted to maintain the Christian commitment that inspired their journey. Three decades… Read more »

The Road Back to Spiritual Sanity

  

Islamic terrorism comes to Canada. On Monday, a jihadist used his car as a weapon and killed a Canadian soldier. Yesterday, a more concerted attack occurred at the Canadian Parliament. Another soldier is dead and others are injured. The Islamic convert, fortunately, lost his life before he could kill others. Prime Minister Stephen Harper called it what it was: Islamic terrorism. Our president and his administration are still “getting the facts” and “studying” what happened. Wouldn’t want to rush to… Read more »