A Sea of Stars

One of my favorite quotes (not from the chapter "Heaven", in case you were wondering.)

"One can imagine a sentient picture, after being rubbed and scraped and re-commenced for the tenth time, wishing that it were only a thumb-nail sketch whose making was over in a minute. In the same way, it is natural for us to wish that God had designed for us a less glorious and less arduous destiny; but then we are wishing not for more love but for less.”

I started reading this on a Wednesday afternoon as a religious book to read whilst covering for a Holy Hour but I soon realized that it was so much more than that. I wasn't really expecting to be too engaged with the book or to actually desire to finish it once I had the opportunity to do other things.

Silly me. I should have known better. It is C.S. Lewis, after all.

Edit: Nov 2014

Unfortunately, I put this book down, lost it, and never got around to finding a new copy. However, this book and its content has become quite relevant, so I'm starting it again.

It's really just genius. I'll admit that there were sections, mostly smack dab in the middle, that I had to re-read over and over before I felt like I had gotten it. And then there were a few sections where I didn't feel that the ideas had sunk into my brain like I wished. So I wrestled past those few pages and came upon the chapter "Animal Pain", which was very easy to read and understand. And then I came upon the chapter "Heaven" and, nearly immediately, I knew that it would be my favorite chapter. Oh, there were parts of the book that I will endeavor to carry the words in my head, and they shall be jumbled around in a great mess, and undoubtedly come out mangled when I try to recite them as the occasion demands. But I think I shall carry the meaning and the beauty of that last chapter in my heart, even if I cannot help but fail to explain it to another.