When I woke, the documentary was over and a kiddo was standing over me with his face right at three inches from mine. He was holding a red beetle encased in hardened hot glue in one hand while poking me with the other. After explaining to my son that God's creatures were not intended for torture and that presentations on specific beetle species could wait if the presentee was trying to get some much-needed shut-eye, the book C.S. Lewis in a Time of War came to mind.
I had picked up the book in our Purcellville Public Library, determined on that day to choose something for myself after loading up several bags with the children's picks. While admittedly dry in some sections, C.S. Lewis in a Time of War was difficult for me to put down. I had never read Mere Christianity at that point. I had only recently read The Weight of Glory, written right around the same time, during a visit to the E.R. Those have been less frequent for me over the last 18 months or so, but at the time, I was plagued with odd, severe aches and heart palpitations that had both me and my husband rather concerned. I happened to have The Weight of Glory in my purse and I read while I waited for a sonographer to arrive. The wait was so long, and the book so short, that I managed to finish the book during that stay. I read this one on a follow up visit and series of lengthy diagnostic tests in the weeks that followed.
Around this same time, I listened to a podcast given by a professor at some New England college on "reading around" certain authors before enjoying their actual works. While I hadn't intended to do that with this book, that's exactly what happened. What a gift it was! Ingesting this book just before reading Mere Christianity opened whole worlds of ancillary information and formulated a backdrop which allowed me to understand and enjoy the book at a much deeper level.
In case you're not aware, the book, Mere Christianity, began as a series of BBC broadcasts written and delivered by C.S. Lewis to war-torn England and Europe. His goal was to bring words of faith and hope through a decidedly non-denominational message to millions suffering under German occupation. One of the highlights for me was the detailed information given on the editing of these talks and also on the language and delivery methods allowing for tight national security. In fact, Phillips was so meticulous that he even included information on how Lewis chose to spend earnings received for those talks.
Within the pages of C.S. Lewis in a Time of War, not only is the reader transported to WWII-era London and Oxford, s/he is introduced to the very minds and hearts of Lewis and BBC religious producers of that era. Justin Phillips gives a detailed account of the founding of the BBC as well; a history that certainly appealed to the curiosity of this reader.
Since reading this book, I read a recently-published biography on Joy Davidman (Lewis' wife) simply entitled Joy (Purcellville library) and the Lewis biography, Jack (BRBC library), written by George Sayer. Both are fascinating and well worth reading, but nothing prepared me for a deep study of Mere Christianity more than Phillip's well-researched and enjoyable book.
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