Sci-Fi can be so deep

harbarger theory: sin doesn't HAVE to reign supreme

In this installment of CS Lewis' science fiction trilogy, we experience the protagonist, Elwin Ransom, distinguished philologist/linguist being asked by the Malacandrian (Mars) Oyarsa (archangel or archon) to take a trip. Ransom doesn't know where he's going nor what will happen once he gets there.

The cosmology of this book is that this is the first planet to be populated after the Christ event on Thulcandra (earth) and therefore all sentient beings after the Christ event are human (or at least humanoid).

The conflict in this book is about whether sin will come to Perelandra (Venus). Will the inhabitants of Perelandra be as bound to sin as we are here on Earth. What a fantastic concept! What if ... we still lived in the Eden state? What if ... we could still "walk with God in the cool of the evening?" What if ... ?

Also, the way Evil arrives in Perelandra and the way it tries to tempt "The Lady" (the Eve character) is interesting and the way that Ransom deals with the Evil is equally interesting. If I went further, it would be a "spoiler," so I shan't!

But, what if we were sinless and simply did God's will? Some of us would believe that to be a boring life, others would find it exciting and most of us simply can't conceive of it. But this is what we were designed to experience. In fact, I believe that "returning to Eden" is the biblical vision of redemption. It's not to live on vacation our whole life, but, rather that we walk with God at all times and in all places. We may be tempted, but we never, ever ... not ever ... succumb.

Oh, I ache for that reality! Lord, let it come soon! Let me be free from my rebelliousness and my need to please everybody ... but You. Let me return to Eden!! Amen.

harbarger theory: sin doesn't HAVE to reign supreme

Sci-Fi can be so true!

Harbarger theory: us thulcandrans sure are bent

Just finished reading “Out Of The Silent Planet,” the second Christian book that CS Lewis wrote and the first in his “Space Trilogy.” Written in 1943, it is an interesting book of science fiction that pre-dates Sputnik and the US space travel by over a decade, and of course UK space travel by … well, they still don’t do it, so … FOREVER!!!

Not wanting to offer a spoiler, I can talk about the idea that we here on Thulcandra, as they call it on Malacandra (or Earth as we non-Martians call it) are bent people. We are under the relentlessly bent nature of our own Oyarsa (we call him Lucifer, the Adversary, the Devil or Satan) and therefore, our own understandings of this world and the way all of life should work are bent.

Wouldn’t it be a grand thing to work at what we love and not worry about money and who’s (paycheck, house, status thingee) is bigger? Wouldn’t it be a grand thing that we would be able to recognize the actions of the Divine all around us (as the people of Malacandra were able to see the Eldil {angelic creatures})? Wouldn’t it be a grand thing to simply love each other, so savor the joys of life that we lived in harmony, and serve God without question?

This, my friends, is what theologians call “getting back to Eden.” It is this humble blogger’s opinion that “getting back to Eden” is what Christ referred to as the Kingdom of God. It is my life’s work to help folks realize that powerful dream of every single person living here in the Kingdom of God, living in the newly realized Eden, making Thulcandra like Malacandra.

Let us all work to make God’s kingdom come and God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven!!

Harbarger theory: us thulcandrans sure are bent