The Pilgrim's Regress

  What a journey!  I just finished C.S. Lewis' The Pilgrim's Regress, Lewis' retelling of John Bunyan's classic The Pilgrim's Progress, which I read about a year ago after much procrastination.

  Lewis' tale is a far different read than Bunyan's--I found Bunyan's easier to understand.  Lewis had fewer characters in his story, and the conversations were deeper and more philosophical.  Lewis' tale was enjoyable, but if I had to recommend one or the other, I'd probably lean toward Bunyan's, simply because the lessons were plainer, though similar.

  Both remind me that the life of faith is a quest.  While the cover of Lewis' book is an epic picture of a knight fighting a dragon, most of the book is comprised of a psychological battle against the temptations to stray from the course, and I find that lesson to be far more pertinent to my situation--the constant, niggling distractions lead me from the narrow way bit by bit, step by wayward step, rather than big, dramatic battles.  I need to be reminded that my life of faith is a quest, one that demands my energy and commitment, one that asks much of me.  I need to be reminded of what a grand adventure this life is, and I should not forget that my goal is the glory of God, rather than the 'success' that the world so often elevates as our goal.  I am not striving for a kingdom made of worldly things, but rather one filled with light and glory that belong only to God.

  How easy it is to forget that we are on a grand quest!  The world's comforts, I believe, so often soften our resolve and lower our defenses.  We grow comfortable, and while many comforts are a gift from God, they also ensnare our souls and entrap us into believing that comfort itself is a goal.  Lewis and Bunyan both long for Christians to live unfettered and free to live boldly for Christ.

  How might we live if we viewed ourselves on a quest, on an adventure?  How might we view each day differently if we remembered that we have a goal, and it is God's kingdom, not the enlarging of our own kingdom?  How might we make decisions differently if our goal was life with Christ, not our own glory.

  I will be praying that I see myself as journeying towards life with God, all the while remembering that God is with me every step of the way.

  Here's an old video of an old song, but it captures the spirit of both books.