Electric salutations! And some delectable Lewis!

To everyone,

Glad you're still blogging with us all. I encourage you (if you haven't yet) to read the discussion under 'Add new topics here!' I think it is, to say the very least, intriguing. In particular, Bill's last post. I created a new post because I always seem to want to keep up to date on everything and I don't have the time or memory to go back and see if there have been new comments added. We can continue commenting on those topics here or there depending on your preference. It wasn't posted long ago.

To Freddy,

Hey dude! :-) Can you find a way to place on the side bar a section that shows readers the most recent comments. If I'm not mistaken it can be done. I tried doing it, but I don't have the 'permission.' Hope your family is well and great!

To Berny,

Orlando sounds awesome! I'm going to miss you and I only got to meet you once! I hope we stay in touch even if it's only through e-mail and/or blogging. Congratulations on your semianniversary by the way! Tell Natalie that my wife and I greet her. Desiree really enjoyed conversing with her and Nana. I agree, we should try to get together one more time before you leave.

To Bill,

I have to tell you Bill that I was really moved by your candidness. It seems to me that in part you may have felt like you were walking on eggshells because some of those points can be so easily misconstrued. I know you wanted to present an accurate picture and that required a lot of background painting. On my part, I can tell you that it was clear and understandable. I think you communicated the complexity (and simplicity) of what you were trying to say well. I'm still chewing on what you said. It sounds like...wow. Perhaps because it is new to me. Or perhaps because it seems to describe in deeper and richer terms what many protestants already answer when asked 'what about uncivilized tribes that never hear about Jesus? Are they going to hell?' Of course, it goes much further than that, because if you live in the United States you hear about Jesus often. And according to the Lumen Gentium even those within the USA that don't believe in Christ as protestants teach, so long as their unbelief comes with a clear conscience (i.e. a "subconscious block"), will attain salvation and are a part of the church by merely 'desiring' Christ/Truth. There's so much that comes up in my mind that I want to refrain from writing about it until the full impact of it sinks in. But perhaps I can mention one of my thoughts that is more concrete: What then did Jesus mean when He said "narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it?" From what you propose, the great majority of people will come to salvation and it seems contradicting to this statement of Christ's. I don't have a problem with the whole world coming to know Christ, but what does the scripture actually teach. And I'm all for reason and I cannot know the scripture except by reason, but 'reason' without scripture has led many astray (though you may claim that it never was reason).

Anyways, I really enjoyed your explanation more than you can imagine. It instigated the memories of a section of C.S. Lewis', "The Last Battle," which is the last in the series "The Chronicles of Narnia." I always found it so curious and interesting that C.S. Lewis added this section to the end of his series. It seems to step out of the natural flow of the story, almost like a last thought roughly (but beautifully) annexed. This bore for itself a place in my memory. I want to share that section with you and I want you to tell me if this relates to what you were saying:

Brief background: It's the end of Narnia as we know it. The sky is literally falling and it seems that the sky is receding like a scroll (Rev. 6). In fact, you learn that all the worlds are also being destroyed. (Narnia and the 'human' world are not the only ones in Aslan's Universe.) You are in Narnia and a giant doorway appears and people are rushing through it (salvation). Now everyone must pass by Aslan, and those that look on him with love go through the door (though they may also look in fear). And those that look at him with hatred do not go through the door. Now once on the other side of the door Aslan leads them further in. They then run into a Calormene. These people are known to hate Aslan. They are also known to be followers of another God named Tash. This man has an interesting story about how he got to this side of the door. He reminds me of a Muslim. Here is the excerpt I wanted to share:

"So I went over much grass and many flowers and among all kinds of wholesome and delectable trees till lo! in a narrow place between two rocks there came to meet me a great Lion. The speed of him was like the ostrich, and his size was an elephant's; his hair was like pure gold and the brightness of his eyes like gold that is liquid in the furnace. He was more terrible than the Flaming Mountain of Lagour, and in beauty he surpassed all that is in the world even as the rose in bloom surpasses the dust of the desert. Then I fell at his feet and thought, Surely this is the hour of death, for the Lion (who is worthy of all honor) will know that I have served Tash all my days and not him. Nevertheless, it is better to see the Lion and die than to be Tisroc of the world and live and not to have seen him. But the Glorious One bent down his golden head and touched my forehead with his tongue and said, Son, thou art welcome. But I said, Alas, Lord, I am no son of thine but the servant of Tash. He answered, Child, all the service thou hast done to Tash, I account as service done to me. Then by reasons of my great desire for wisdom and understanding, I overcame my fear and questioned the Glorious One and said, Lord, is it then true, as the Ape said, that thou and Tash are one? The Lion growled so that the earth shook (but his wrath was not against me) and said, It is false. Not because he and I are one, but because we are opposites, I take to me the services thou hast done to him. For I and he are of such different kinds that no service which is vile can be done to me, and none which is not vile can be done to him. Therefore if any man swear by Tash and keep his oath for the oath's sake, it is by me that he has truly sworn, though he know it not, and it is I who rewarded him. And if any man do a cruelty in my name, then, though he says the name Aslan, it is Tash whom he serves and by Tash his deed is accepted. Dost thou understand this, Child? I said, Lord, thou knowest how much I understand. But I said also (for the truth constrained me), Yet I have been seeking Tash all my days. Beloved, said the Glorious One, unless thy desire had been for me thou wouldst not have sought so long and so truly. For all find what they truly seek."

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