I read all three books. While I didn’t specifically select them for meditation, I found I could only read a chapter or so at a time (especially with the Imitation of Christ). I usually read just a chapter or so of spiritual books, (and with some classic Christian works I can only absorb a couple of pages), then I go about the tasks of my day. I find myself pondering what I read earlier while folding laundry etc. I never thought of that as real meditation, but it probably could be called meditation. I still think about some of the ideas mentioned in those books long after I read them.
Both the books by C.S. Lewis I read many years ago, and it’s been a long time since I read (and re-read) them. While I don’t remember all the details of Screwtape Letters, the main concept of that book has stuck with me ever since I first read it, and it still helps me today. The part about tempting the mother to get upset that her “simple request” for tea and toast isn’t perfect enters my mind frequently, as those little things can annoy me. Recognizing the source of some temptations helps me ignore them.
I don’t really recall much from Mere Christianity, except the idea that people start at different points of goodness, simply because God gives different amounts of goodness to us. That idea helps me avoid judging people since I can’t tell outwardly how far they’ve come. I’m sure that book must have planted other ideas in my mind too. I read it during a time of spiritual growth, and I’ve re-read other books from that point in my life only to realize I incorporated it into so much into my thinking that I forgot where the thought originated.
As I write this post I realize it’s probably time for me to stop buying so many new books and start re-reading some I already own.
