The Inner ring and the quest to become a member is one I am sure we have all been a part of at one point or another. In fact, we are all part of rings today whether we are aware of this ring or not. I could sit and tell you about a time that I wanted to be a part of some group or another or how important it was to be in certain circles in high school, but this is something that I am sure that you all have experienced, so I am going to move on.
Lewis talks of the inner ring and warns of not the ring themselves, but rather the desire to be in the ring. He makes some great comment on just how much that desire can distort a man. “Of all the passions, the passion for the Inner Ring is most skillful in making a man who is not yet a very bad man do very bad things.” This got me thinking if there ever is a time when a desire to join a group is not a bad thing and I landed on the group that known as Christians.
Now I started applying this inner ring to the broad term Christians. If one were to desire to be in the Christian ring would that really be so bad? Isn’t that the goal of Christianity to join more to the path of God? This is where the distinction between those who want to join the group in an earnest effort to be like Christ and those who just want to be in the know becomes a question. How are we to decide? I don’t think that is our place but rather to try and convince those people who join the group so that they can be in the know. It is our jobs as Christians to take the Inner circle that is Christianity and break through to those who are desperately grasping to be accepted and do just that accept them. Maybe at first they will be those people that Lewis describes desiring to get into the circle, but if they are accepted maybe Christianity will be less of a disappointment then being accepted into a higher social circle or a secret society. Just maybe there is the chance to persuade the man to stay a part of the inner circle for the intent in which those who joined because they share a common belief.
I like your thoughts about Christianity. I think (and hope) we can compare the Christian "inner ring" to what Lewis describes as the friendship circle. I hope that people will see us as accepting and not exclusive, just a group of brothers and sisters in Christ who share a similar belief.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great concept. I think it is insightful. The main danger of an inner ring really comes from how it excludes others and makes them work to get into it, driving them to do unwise things. If we open ourselves up to others we can make a really good positive impact for others.
ReplyDeleteThere are some good thoughts. We may have to step out of our comfort zones in order to help people feel accepted, but its not about us. By showing people that Christians are accepting, God can start to use us to bring more people to him.
ReplyDeleteI like that idea and agree that it isn't bad to have a circle where we all share a common belief. Even THAT could be dangerous though, not necessarily because we are excluding others, but we may become so consumed with those certain beliefs that we do not open our minds to other ideas and different ways of doing things. The same goes for the church and different denominations. We cannot stay within our own 'denomination' bubble, but it's important to go and research why other denominations have the beliefs that are different from our own. This is just one example among many. I think looking at different religions is important too to see what they have to say! Again, looking at and along everything is crucial. Nevertheless, good post. You posed some great questions!
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