A dogmatic belief in objective value is necessary to the very idea of a rule which is not tyranny or an obedience which is not slavery.
C. S. LewisRead
The instrument through which you see God is your whole self. And if a man's self is not kept clean and bright, his glimpse of God will be blurred
Interpretation
What this quote means
Our perception of the divine is influenced by our own character and state of mind.
C. S. Lewis suggests that the purity and clarity of one's self—encompassing thoughts, intentions, and moral standing—directly affect how one perceives the divine or God. If a person's self is clouded by negativity or impurities, their understanding and experience of the divine will also be obscured, highlighting the importance of self-reflection and personal integrity in spiritual matters.
Themes
SelfPerceptionDivinePurityFaith
In practice
Example use cases
During a meditation retreat, I reminded the attendees, 'The instrument through which you see God is your whole self.'
More from C. S. Lewis
All quotes →I enjoyed my breakfast this morning, and I think that was a good thing and do not think it was condemned by God. But I do not think myself a good man for enjoying it.
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Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.
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Forgiving and being forgiven are two names for the same thing. The important thing is that a discord has been resolved.
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I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I'm helpless. It doesn't change God - it changes me.
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The castle of Cair Paravel on its little hill towered up above them; before them were the sands, with rocks and little pools of salt water, and seaweed, and the smell of the sea and long miles of bluish-green waves breaking for ever and ever on the beach. And oh, the cry of the seagulls! Have you ever heard it? Can you remember?
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