Many of CS Lewis’ books have this idea of “re-enchantment” running through them. You might even remember this while reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. In the absence of Aslan, Narnia was captured by the White Witch, who cast a frozen spell over the land, making it “always winter and never Christmas.” Narnia needed re-enchanting.
Just like Narnia, Lewis believed that we, too, have fallen under a spell. We’ve lost the ability to view the world through eyes of wonder and mystery, tempted to explain everything in strictly mechanical or rational terms. And our reliance on our technological devices seems to have dramatically escalated this problem. We need to be re-enchanted with the goodness, beauty, and truth God gives us. Our world, while far from perfect, still offers us glimpses of these God-given gifts, if only we have eyes to see.
In his book The Beauty Chasers, Timothy Willard writes, “God created us to run on soulish things, not haphazard, thoughtless things. God created us in his image (imago dei). When we participate in the beautiful in this world, our souls come alive. When we receive the brutish things of the world into our lives, our souls fall sick.”
According to Willard, George Sayer, a close friend of Lewis, describes how Lewis nurtured his spiritual life with his “habit of communing with nature.” Lewis would take a morning walk in the garden to drink in “the beauty of the morning, thanking God for the weather, the roses, the song of the birds, and anything else he could find to enjoy.”
So how do we push back against this temptation? Here are three simple practices that might help us.
Like C.S. Lewis, we can soak in the beauty of nature on a regular basis (although winter invites us to be a bit more creative…but beauty is always present in every season). As much as possible, go outside every day and be curious about what you see.
Be aware of your dependence on technology…pay attention to your habits. Currently for me, this means resisting the urge to check my phone first thing each morning (which is so hard for me!).
Live in gratitude. Consider some easy ways to incorporate gratitude into each day. Perhaps it’s thanking God for good things in your day as you are falling asleep? Or follow the lead of Lewis and take a gratitude walk on a regular basis.
May we all learn to live re-enchanted!