City Life Starter

Written by Aisha Darwesh

The Word

²² “The eye is the lamp of the body; so if your eye is clear [spiritually perceptive], your whole body will be full of light [benefiting from God’s precepts]. ²³ But if your eye is bad [spiritually blind], your whole body will be full of darkness [devoid of God’s precepts]. So if the [very] light inside you [your inner self, your heart, your conscience] is darkness, how great and terrible is that darkness!

Matthew 6:22-23 (Amplified)

For he died for us, sacrificing himself ²⁶ to make us holy and pure, cleansing us through the showering of the pure water of the Word of God. ²⁷ All that he does in us is designed to make us a mature church for his pleasure, until we become a source of praise to him—glorious and radiant, beautiful and holy, without fault or flaw.

Ephesians 5:25-27 (The Passion Translation)

…while in other sciences the instruments you use are things external to yourself (things like microscopes and telescopes), the instrument through which you see God is your whole self. And if a man’s self is not kept clean and bright, his glimpse of God will be blurred—like the Moon seen through a dirty telescope…the one really adequate instrument for learning about God is the whole Christian community, waiting for Him together.

C.S. Lewis Mere Christianity Book 4, Ch 2

Aisha’s Analysis

The mystery and beauty of the Trinity show us that God exists in community in and of Himself. He is one God in three distinct Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

What’s more, God extends communion with Himself to ordinary people like you and me. However, our ability to perceive and connect with God is based on the condition of our hearts, which affects our entire lives (Proverbs 4:23). 

In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis describes theology as the “science of God.” Just as scientists use special instruments to examine the object of their study, we are the instruments through which we see and learn about God. C.S. Lewis also touches on the importance of drawing from both our personal experiences with God and the collective experiences of other believers to gain a richer understanding of who God is. 

These insights imply that there are practical things we can do to posture ourselves to experience God in a deeper way–and that brings us to another point Lewis makes–theology is practical. The practicality of theology shows us that it’s not just a lofty idea for high-minded intellectuals; we can experience God in any and every aspect of life. All of creation echoes His voice.  

Application

One practical way we can “clean our instruments” is with the water of the Word (Ephesians 5:26). Much like taking a shower refreshes and cleans the body, spending time in God’s word everyday refreshes and nourishes the soul. 

Reserve a few minutes today (could be right now or later depending on what’s going on), open up your Bible, and freshen up!

Prayer

Father God, wash me in the water of Your Word. Purify my soul that I may experience You in a greater measure. I pray Psalm 51 over me: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right and steadfast spirit within me  (v. 10). In Jesus’ Name, Amen.