Broad reflections of Chesterton's Everlasting Man

Chesterton's Everlasting Man is full of broad ambitious sweeps.  He identifies the differences between a pagan view of our world and a Christian one.  Asserting that we are often not aware of the assumptions we carry, he sifts through them and shows us that much of modern theology or philosophy is half-baked. 

In a sea of ideologies, Chesterton asserts that Christianity is unique.

His observations are presented in an invitational fashion that encourages the reader to set aside their reservations and take the journey with him.  He uses humor and word play in clever ways that catch you off guard. I see how C.S. Lewis could be wooed by such a mind and writer.

It lifts my heart to see the strokes of one great thinker impact another.  I see the seeds of Lewis' style, approach, and thought in Chesterton.  Interestingly, Chesterton's spiritual influence goes back to his wife Frances who strikes me as a gentle soul, content to allow her husband the spotlight though she had a vivid though-life of her own.  This entry by Nancy Carpentier Brown on The American Chesterton Society website, offers a glimpse into the life and spirit of Frances Bogg Chesterton.

Lewis' Mere Christianity was critical in my faith journey and Chesterton to Lewis'.  People are persuaded and impacted in different ways, but words--my own and those of others--have always been instrumental in my understanding and growth in all areas of life.

Spiritually,  the influence of each generation upon the next is a privilege and gift.  This morning I came across a glimpse of this in Psalm 71:

O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works. Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come. Psalm 71-17-18