Our son Mark took us to a live one-man play about C.S. Lewis: Further Up, Further In. Highly recommend it if it’s ever in your area. Among the highlights was C.S. Lewis’ description of his coming to faith after long conversations with fellow Oxford professors and authors J.R.R. Tolkien and Hugo Dyson. A couple of months after one such conversation, Lewis visited the zoo with his brother. He wrote:

When we set out I did not believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God; and when we reached the zoo, I did.

Lewis was in his early 30s then, and I couldn’t help but reflect on a long thread I had just read on the neighborhood website NextDoor. A lady in our area posted:

I have noticed since moving to Colorado Springs that everyone I meet ends up asking me about my faith, if I have “found a church” yet, etc… don’t get me wrong, I have no issues discussing matters of faith with others or my own faith journey, but it has honestly been surprising to me because I was raised in a manner and culture where it is very rude to push religion (and politics), especially with people you have literally just met. Is it culturally acceptable here to just meet someone and assume they are looking for religion and need your help finding the “right” one?

This spurred a flurry of comments, most along the lines of this sample:

Well, here in the springs the #2 “industry” is religion (#1 is military) so…while I never experienced that it isn’t surprising. Is it rude I dunno. Like someone else said Bible Belt area is commonplace to ask that. Maybe they are asking so if you don’t have that commitment yet you can join them. Try not to be offended by it, it’s how they show they care, and come up with your own witty response.

I absolutely hate it. No! I don’t go to church and I don’t want to, far too lazy and love to sleep in. Also, keep your political stuff to yourself. I hate talking about politics. I vote for who I vote for, it’s no one’s business and I’m going to like you for you. Not for who you voted or if you do or don’t believe in god.

yes. I feel this. Religion is such a personal thing and I can’t imagine trying to change someone’s very personally-held beliefs, or even their lack of religion. Because that is also a personal thing.

“Religion is such a personal thing and I can’t imagine trying to change someone’s very personally-held beliefs…” But J.R.R. Toilken and Hugo Dyson didn’t mind trying. Of course, they were close friends, while the thread mainly talked about having the conversation with near strangers. And the point is that C.S. Lewis did change…as an adult. He gave up one deeply held belief for another and spent the rest of his life trying to bring others around.

Why? Near the end of the play was this haunting excerpt from The Silver Chair, book 6 of the Chronicles of Narnia series. It’s a conversation between the Lion (the Christ Figure in the series) and a little girl:

“If you’re thirsty, you may drink…If you’re thirsty, you may come and drink…Are you not thirsty?” said the Lion.

“I am dying of thirst,” said Jill.

“Then drink,” said the Lion.

“May I — could I — would you mind going away while I do?” said Jill.

The Lion answered this only by a look and a very low growl. And as Jill gazed at its motionless bulk, she realized that she might as well have asked the whole mountain to move aside for her convenience.

The delicious rippling noise of the stream was driving her nearly frantic.

“Will you promise not to — do anything to me, if I do come?” said Jill.

“I make no promise,” said the Lion.

Jill was so thirsty now that, without noticing it, she had come a step nearer.

“Do you eat girls?” she said.

“I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms,” said the Lion. It didn’t say this as if it were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry. It just said it.

“I daren’t come and drink,” said Jill.

“Then you will die of thirst,” said the Lion.

“Oh dear!” said Jill, coming another step nearer. “I suppose I must go and look for another stream then.”

“There is no other stream,” said the Lion.”

Jesus was clear:

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. (John 7.37, ESV)

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14.6, ESV)