Back in the 70’s, when I was attending an Assemblies of God Bible college, I began reading Lewis. It started with Narnia, but quickly went from there to his other writings. The other students were crazy about him, too, but I saw what they didn’t see–or at least I was challenged by what they slid over and around–that he was a liturgical Christian not Evangelical or Pentecostal. They loved to point out the “many rooms in the same hall” idea Lewis put forward in “Mere Christianity,” but they certainly weren’t interested in knocking on any of those other doors, especially those that led into liturgical or “mainline” churches.
But, I had been brought up Episcopalian, so I had no such reservations. Indeed, reading Lewis led me back to the Episcopal Church for a time. He was such a clear thinker but even he had his limitations and biases, bless him, as we all do. I couldn’t, like him, remain in the Episcopal/Anglican communities. I saw the ravages that modernism was having on doctrine and spirituality.
It was Lewis’ great friend and benefactor, J. R. R. Tolkien who led me on to the Catholic Church, bless him, as well. I will always be grateful to Lewis for all he gave me–I still read him and get much from his writings. But a part of me has “moved on” and I think he would want me to do so. I think that now that he sees things beyond the “glass darkly” he would have been more open to ideas he simply couldn’t entertain when he was on earth. I hope when it comes my turn to face the full truth in Christ’s face, I can have his prayers and support. I often think of him and pray for his soul, and that of all the great people to whom I owe so much, who formed me and guided me along the narrow way.
