Divine Education

“Learning in War-Time” is an essay that C.S. Lewis wrote about whether participating in scholarly pursuits during wartime is a good idea. Lewis’s opponents argue that, when war is raging, one must commit to the war effort and not waste time on frivolous things like philosophy until the war is over. From a Christian perspective, Lewis says that this argument does not work. The war is small potatoes compared to the fight for human souls that is going on between heaven and hell. Lewis says that Christians should ask “how it is right, or even psychologically possible, for creatures who are every moment advancing either to heaven or to hell, to spend any fraction of the little time allowed them in this world on such comparative trivialities as literature or art, mathematics or biology” (1). Ultimately, Lewis argues that it is a Christian’s duty to learn if it is in God’s plan. Christians must be educated in order to help save others. Some Christians pursue education in order to find more beauty in God’s world.

                If a Christian finds that they are suited for a life of learning, they face three opponents. The first is excitement; if we become preoccupied with the bad that is going on in our life, we will not be able to focus on our jobs. In order to combat this, we need to recognize the enemy and work despite its existence. Next is frustration which makes us feel like we won’t finish our tasks. The best way to fight this, says Lewis, is to leave it up to God. “We may as well, for God will certainly retain it whether we leave it to Him or not” (5). The last enemy, fear, tries to scare us with the ideas of death and pain. Lewis says that we must acknowledge them and realize that they will come to everyone, whether we can stop them or not. Ultimately, Lewis argues that learning is a fit activity for some people, but only if it is “humbly offered to God” (5).

                This essay surprised me. I admit that I’ve never really thought about whether going to school during “war-time” was a bad idea. Perhaps this is because I have never encountered a “Great War” or because I have never personally suffered a loss because of a war. I think that this is a good essay to look at, even if I hadn’t thought about it. Lewis’s statements about vocation and learning made me think about my reasons for being at Calvin. So often it seems that people go to college because that’s what everyone else is doing. I don’t want to be someone who just “goes with the flow” despite have reservations of my own. After reflecting on this essay, I have realized that I really do need to be in school right now. I enjoy learning and I want to use my brain for God. What better place to start than Calvin?