Katelyn Joyce- To Be Spiritually Alive

 A quote from one of our first readings of Lewis stood out to me and has stuck with me ever since. He says, “a man who disbelieved the Christian story as fact but continually fed on it as myth would, perhaps, be more spiritually alive than one who assented and did not think much about it.” This really caused me to take a step back and ponder not only what he means by this statement, but how it is applied to the average person’s life. This quote shows even more so the power that is found through mythopoetic writings. It cultivates the ability to be spiritually alive. It doesn’t just do this in the way that requires previous spiritual growth. It is strong enough to make an individual who does not accept Christianity as fact to be more spiritually alive than a Christian. It is valuable to notice the personal spiritual life of the Christian used in comparison here. This individual does not ponder actively about issues regarding their faith. The difference between the unbeliever and the believer lies in their motivation to interact with the Christian story. Just stating belief is not enough to strengthen one’s faith. This still led me to wonder how it is possible for one to be more “spiritually alive” than another when they have not accepted it as truth. While pondering this, I remembered the Holy Spirit’s ability to act in the lives of individuals who have not professed their faith. They are thinking actively and interacting with stories. When one does this, they open up the space for the Holy Spirit to move, making them spiritually alive even if, at the moment, they do not believe it to be fact. This differs from the believer who does not interact or think much about spiritual matters. They may have confessed their belief, but they are doing nothing to cultivate growth.

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