Transformation Tuesday: Reading Old Books
The transformation of the old you involves the transformation of your mind. We have to learn to think like Christians and to “bring into captivity every thought into the obedience of Christ.” A major problem today is the Christian mind being shaped by the media. We all know the media is manipulative and corrupting, yet we usually take it in without intentional filters. C.S. Lewis warns us against taking in information that is current:
“It is a good rule, after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between. If that is too much for you, you should at least read one old one to every three new ones.
Every age has its own outlook. It is specially good at seeing certain truths and specially liable to make certain mistakes. We all, therefore, need the books that will correct the characteristic mistakes of our own period. And that means the old books.”
Lewis is warning us against reading what was written five years ago; we are now reading what was written five minutes ago. In addition to being current, social media gives you information that is thoughtless. A writer has time to plan and revise his work, so it is the product of much contemplation. But a tweet is usually the reaction of a thoughtless person.
Our mission at BBC is to BE, GROW, and MAKE DISCIPLES. The first part, BE, is the transformation of your soul into the image of Christ. This will happen only by being immersed in the Word. Only through the Word can you be supernaturally transformed, After priority is given to the Word, we should read and listen to what is good, noble, true. It’s true—the Puritans are not as sensational as the newest season streaming online, but they will leave you more satisfied.
One author that is relatively recent, but has stood the test of time for about 70 years is C.S Lewis himself. Lewis has an extraordinary interpretative ability—he can read the world and give you the big picture of how and why this is happening. If you’re not familiar with Lewis, a good introduction is God in the Dock. This is a series of essays that don’t need to be read in order and cover a multitude of topics.
Ask God for wisdom, and then search for it diligently.