Hanging with Clive

My class for Fuller Seminary this Spring is on Mentoring. I had to select a historical figure that is a mentor to me. I chose C.S. Lewis. I have written about Lewis before on this blog and he has had a profound effect on my life through his writings. One aspect I haven't written about is Lewis' friendship with J.R.R. Tolkien and the group known as the Inklings. 

I am fascinated by this group of friends that met for over 30 years together each week either in Lewis' room or at a pub known as the Eagle and the Child. Their commitment to each other is admirable. Most people don't know that J.R.R Tolkien was instrumental in bringing Lewis to Christ. Below is a quote from Tolkien about Lewis:

“Friendship with Lewis compensates for much, and besides giving constant pleasure and comfort has done me much good from the contact with a man at once honest, brave, intellectual-a scholar, a poet, and a philosopher—and a lover, at least after a long pilgrimage, of Our Lord.” 

This is a quote from Lewis about his friends the Inklings from his perspective:

“Sometimes he wonders what he is doing there among his betters. He is lucky beyond desert to be in such company. Especially when the whole group is together, each bringing out all that is best, wisest, or funniest in all the others.” 

I am sure these guys meet together every day in Heaven, and I am sure Jesus stops by now and then.

Comments

[Alexander Wilhelmsen]

Once again, I'm doing quick comments for the moment, but as part of a keystone course, which was something like, "Religion and The Lord of the Rings," no, seriously, that was Seminar for me, for the Religious Studies part of my majors, it was cool learning about this connection.

[Alexander Wilhelmsen]

These guys were both scholars at Oxford and something interesting is that C.S. Lewis is a "Saint" in the Anglican church with a feast day on November 22.

Another interesting thing is that while Tolkien may as well be happy that his friend left atheism for Christianity, he was ticked off (and that's euphemism) that Lewis went to the Church of England instead of the Roman Catholic Church.

My source being a very well sourced Wikipedia on Tolkien (same as I figured out Lewis's canonization): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._R._R._Tolkien#Religion

Rest assured that these guys probably had a "blast" when that happened, but conflict isn't a bad thing, as long as it doesn't overshadow the friendship, which comes first. I'm sure beyond the religious aspects, these guys being the intellectuals that they were, they probably had some very nice fair arguments over a lot of different things and thus learning from them.

Some of my favorite times are formulating arguments and going to war with someone else fair minded, and coming to a fitting conclusion. Even if we are in far disagreement and neither is going to change their position, atleast you can learn and still respect people.

As for the meeting of friends, gee, I wonder if you wrote a blog about this... oh yeah, you and about half a dozen various guys who impacted your life, no less it was at a drinking establishment... go figure that out.

I don't know that you and the "A-Team" are quite the higher class scholar-intellectuals, but you guys, like these guys, were some kind of modern day version of "Cheers," as they say, sometimes you've got to go where everybody knows your name (cue the title card and piano outro).