My Dear Friend Jack

I find it interesting that a young C.S. Lewis insisted on being called Jack. When I was younger and had inconsistent male role models in my life, I would go and spend summers with my grandmother and step-grandfather. He was one of my most positive "father figures". He would take time to talk to me, we would go and get ice cream together, and I never ceased to be able to put a smile on his face. He called me "Jack". It is another connection with this spiritual mentor who died seven years before I was even born.
I was looking back through some of my archives and was surprised to find quite a few posts either quoting or about C.S. Lewis. Here are some blasts from the past:

Demons, Devils and Ghouls - Oh My!
On the Screwtape Letters and Superstition

Prince Caspian Book and Movie
War rhetoric aside, I love the Narnia stories for their literary excellence

The Power of Love
This quote from A Grief Observed may belong in our discussion on The Four Loves

The Four Loves - Introduction

Our book discussion group had it's first official meeting last night. I enjoyed it so much. We are so blessed to have such a thoughtful and intelligent group. We tossed around questions such as:

• is love just an emotion or something more?
• was there sin before the fall?
• do any humans love with purely selfless motives?
• can unbelievers truly love?

I loved hearing different perspectives. I enjoyed some of the definitive answers and some that seemed more flexible. I loved the passion behind some of the responses and the debating banter that some of the questions provoked. In fact, the only thing I didn't love was that the discussion took off with such fervor a few times that several cross discussions were happening and I couldn't hear everyone. There was no lag in the discussion, and in that sense it was a tremendous success!
Kendra and I had the idea for this group, but there is no doubt that God is putting it together, building a group that can ignite deep thoughts and inspire passionate living. Years ago I belonged to a little group called Can of Worms - and even while in the middle of it I knew it was one of those "best things" in life that you remember forever. I have a similar feeling about this group. I am so excited about where it will lead us.