We’re to love other people, that’s obvious. The Bible tells us to love our spouses (Col 3:19), neighbors (Jas 2:8), and even our enemies (Lk 6:35). But I don’t think this responsibility to love has ever sunk so deep into my heart as when I read the words of C. S. Lewis, “You have never talked to a mere mortal.” Â
In his book, The Weight of Glory, Lewis reminds us that we live in a world of human beings who, more than any other creatures in existence, resemble God. And we must keep in mind that “the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship [remember people’s response to angelic beings in the Bible], or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare.”Â
This is to say that any given human being, regardless of their current state (physical, mental, social, economic, or otherwise), is a being who will one day either be glorified (as they are united back to their Creator), or made into a horror (as they are separated from the Source of their being). And to make things even more sobering, Lewis reminds us that we actually play a significant role in helping all people we interact with to reach one of these ends.  For God has commissioned us as His ambassadors to His world (2 Cor 5:20).  Lewis writes, “All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. . . .it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit–immortal horrors or everlasting splendours.”  If this is true, how should this revelation impact the interaction I have with the very next person I run into, talk to on the phone, or e-mail? What will I do differently this time?
One Comment on “You have never talked to a mere mortal!”
Wow, that puts a huge amount of responsibility on us. I was taught, somewhere in time, that we could not damage someone’s decision for Christ because ultimately, it is the job of the Holy Spirit to convict the heart of a lost person…..Somehow now, that seems really messed up. I remember using this explanation when talking to a fellow Christian years ago, because they were distraught over something they had done or said (can’t remember which) to a person who was not a believer…This whole subject falls into the category of Gods’ Sovereignty (sp?) for me and I’ve always struggled with this. Not that He IS Sovereign, but what exactly does that mean, when it comes to those who will choose him and those that won’t. I will be reading your blog on free will vs. gods will next but wanted to mention this here because I can’t imagine that God would put it on us, sinful beings, to be responsible for ones Salvation. Not sure if that came out right or not.