C. S. Lewis and the Gospel Lens
The other day, as we ate dinner with friends, one of them asked if my eyeglasses were a particular brand. I paused but could not remember which brand I had chosen, so I removed my glasses to look for the name. The small letters looked like a dotted white line on the black acrylic frame. At that moment, I clearly understood that glasses are not something to look at; you look through them at everything else. For me, spectacles are no mere accessories. They clarify my vision so I can play catch with my boys without getting hit in the face. They focus on letters so I can read and understand. While many of you may not wear glasses, we all have spectacles that we look through to view our world.
“The gospel is not simply a spectacle we behold; it is a set of spectacles for every day. We see the world through the gospel as God designed it to be. ”
I was reading one of C. S. Lewis’ lesser popular books, The Personal Heresy, and discovered how Lewis uses spectacles as a metaphor. As Lewis debates poetry, reading, and personality, he offers a helpful understanding of why we can enjoy spectacles like stories and poetry, saying:
“The poet is not a man who asks me to look at him; he is a man who says ‘look at that’ and points; the more I follow the pointing of his finger, the less I see I can see of him…To see things as the poet sees them, I must share his consciousness and not attend to it; I must look where he looks and not turn round to face him; I must make of him not a spectacle but a pair of spectacles…”
Lewis argued for an understanding that the great poets like Keets and Milton are not just a spectacle to observe; they are a set of spectacles (like the ones perched on my nose as I write) by which the reader can see the world. In an even greater sense, we can say this about the gospel. The gospel is both a spectacle and spectacles. It is a remarkable spectacle wherein Jesus Christ came in the form of man, died according to the Scriptures, and rose on the third day. It is the most extraordinary spectacle, and we can look to find grace, forgiveness, and salvation through Christ.
But the gospel is not simply a spectacle we behold; it is a set of spectacles for every day. We see the world through the gospel as God designed it to be. Seeing our lives, relationships, work, or families through the gospel's lens changes those things forever. Those relationships are a space to live out grace and joy. Our work is a place where we can use the gifts and strengths that the Creator gave us to display His greatness; our families are not where we find our fulfillment but where we live out gospel relationships each day.
What spectacles are you looking through? The gospel lens offers us hope and a challenge. When we have been transformed by Christ, we are a new creation with new outlooks. Every aspect of our lives can and should bear the mark of the gospel. The natural way is to lean into our new vision as followers of Christ.
To see the world through the gospel’s lens is embracing a perspective transcending the ordinary and mundane. Just as my glasses sharpen my vision and bring clarity to the physical world around me, the gospel sharpens our spiritual vision and gives motivation for a flourishing daily life. This vision isn’t merely about observing our circumstances but understanding them through the transformative power of grace. The gospel reshapes our perceptions, encouraging us to see beauty in the broken, purpose in the mundane, and hope where there was once despair. It shifts our focus from merely existing to actively participating in the God’s story of redemption.
Everyday interactions and decisions matter. Whether resolving conflicts, celebrating achievements, or simply carrying out our daily tasks, looking at them through the gospel lens helps us realign our priorities and actions. It serves as a reminder that our lives are not isolated events but are interconnected stories contributing to a larger divine plan. Viewing the world through the gospel's lens allows us to see it not as a series of random events but as an opportunity to live like Jesus and help others to do the same. We can see small moments like dinner with friends as an opportunity to put aside small talk and to point one another to the gospel.
