John 14:27
Peace I Give to You
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
C. S. Lewis thought that fiction could be read and give one thoughts of other things...Lewis knew that fiction could have an influence on people and their beliefs, if fiction stories were written well and were believable...Lewis once wrote this about fiction: “Any amount of theology can now be smuggled into people’s minds under the cover of romance [fiction] without their knowing it.”...
Another author and friend of C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien wrote this about the stories of myth and legend, “I would venture to say that approaching the Christian Story from this direction, it has long been my feeling (a joyous feeling) that God redeemed the corrupt making creatures, men, in a way fitting to this aspect, as to others, of their strange nature...The Gospels contain a fairy-story, or a story of a larger kind which embraces all the essence of fairy-stories...They contain many marvels—peculiarly artistic, beautiful, and moving: ‘mythical’ in their perfect, self-contained significance; and among the marvels is the greatest and most complete conceivable eucatastrophe... But this story has entered History and the primary world; the desire and aspiration of sub-creation has been raised to the fulfillment of Creation...The Birth of Christ is the eucatastrophe of Man’s history...The Resurrection is the eucatastrophe of the story of the Incarnation...This story begins and ends in joy...It has pre-eminently the ‘inner consistency of reality’...There is no tale ever told that men would rather find was true, and none which so many sceptical men have accepted as true on its own merits...For the Art of it has the supremely convincing tone of Primary Art, that is, of Creation. ..To reject it leads either to sadness or to wrath.”...
C. S. Lewis and his friend J. R. R. Tolkien saw fiction and mythology in a way that some truths in them...The old myths and mythology stories were good to be read about and contained parcels of truths in them...Lewis wrote many books, including the Chronicles of Narnia...Tolkien wrote the LORD of the Rings, and other books about middle earth...The two saw certain myths were being touched upon in the older written four gospels...And in some, if not most of their own writings, they intentionally included the fingerprint of God throughout their own books and writings...
Today, many books and now especially movies that start out with goodness being at the start of the story and then that goodness is quickly gone and the main characters must fight evil to bring back our goodness and goodness to the world...The books and movies end with a certain peace as they end, after a struggle...A very common theme in books and movies are we start with this peace, then the peace is followed by corruption, then a fight for goodness against this corruption, and then we see peace at the end...Goodness wins out over corruption and evil...
I very much agree with Tolkien that in Christianity there is a struggle and favorable resolution of events in the history of man...The favorable resolution is Jesus' birth, by a virgin girl...The happy ending, though ironic, is Jesus death on the Cross for our sins, and then His Resurrection...This story seems of myth, yet rejecting it either leads to sadness -while accepting Jesus' life and story brings about a peace that only He can bring...
Jesus story is throughout the four gospels...His story is myth-like to some, and is an odd story...After all He was born of a virgin, impregnated by the Holy Spirit...Little is known about Him until He approaches age thirty...Then He starts a ministry that is inclined to the broken individuals, the poor, those in need, the lame, the ill, and the blind...He would go around to different villages forgiving people, and healing those who were sick...He teaches daily about God and then is accused of blaspheme for speaking about God and His Personal Relationship with God...He is arrested and hung on a cross and dies, what He says is for our sins...And an interesting note, is that He seems to be in control of all things, even during His arrest and His trial...And during these most stressful signs of His, He seems almost calm...
In one of His many teachings, sayings, and parables He mentions a certain type of peace...Jesus said this about having peace...He points out that His peace is not like a peace one would find in this world...Many who suffer in this world knows that it can be difficult to find a consistent peace in this world...Jesus says, My peace I leave with you; My peace I give you...I do not give to you a peace as this world gives...Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid...
Jesus story could seem like a myth to many...Yet, this Myth is a Great and True Legend...Jesus was always teaching about the eternities...So for those who believe in Him, His peace is an eternal one...Jesus' peace resonates with our Spirit, our heart, and our soul...Jesus answers the needs of man...Let us be at peace with Him...