Wednesday, April 18 ~ TWHF Chs.15-16

Discuss Chs. 13-14

•  Read the following excerpts from The Four Loves.  How does Lewis flesh out these concepts in chapter 14?

The rivalry between all natural loves and the love of God is something a Christian dare not forget.  God is the great Rival, the ultimate object of human jealousy; that beauty, terrible as the Gorgon's, which may at any moment steal from me-or it seems like stealing to me-my wife's or husband's or daughter's heart (p.38).

Change is a threat to Affection.... Few things in the ordinary peacetime life of a civilized country are more nearly fiendish than the rancour with which a whole unbelieving family will turn on the one member of it who has become a Christian, or a whole low-brow family on the one who shows signs of becoming an intellectual.... It is the reaction to a desertion, even to robbery.  Someone or something has stolen "our" boy (or girl).  He who was one of Us has become one of Them.  What right had anybody to do it?  He is ours (p.45-47).

If we try to live by Affection alone, Affection will "go bad on us" (p.55).

But then a love like Mrs. Fidget's contains a good deal of hatred.  It was of erotic love that the Roman poet said, "I love and hate," but other kinds of love admit the same mixture.  They carry in them the seeds of hatred.  If Affection is made the absolute sovereign of a human life the seeds will germinate.  Love, having become a god, becomes a demon (p.56).

• What does Psyche mean when she tells Orual, "You are indeed teaching me about kinds of love I did not know" (p.165).  Compare the love of Orual with the love of Psyche.

Read Chs. 15-16

Journal 23

1. Describe the creature Orual sees when Psyche lights the lamp.  What did he reveal to Orual about herself?

2.  What do you think the judgments on Psyche (exile) and Orual ("you also shall be Psyche") mean?

3.  Orual contends that the gods are to blame for Psyche's fate because had the gods let her know Psyche was safe with the Beast she would not have acted as she did.  Is Orual being honest with herself? 

4.  How does Orual's secrecy about what happened on the mountain diminish her relationship with the Fox?

5. Look at the times Orual is veiled.

     a. the king's marriage (p.11)

     b. trips to the mountain (p.93 and 154)

     c. to wear her veil permanently (p.180)

Why was Orual veiled?  What might the veil symbolize?  Consider also the scriptures below:

Exodus 34:33-35 New International Version (NIV)

33 When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face.34 But whenever he entered the Lord’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, 35 they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the Lord.

2 Corinthians 3:13-18 New International Version (NIV)

13 We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate[a] the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.