I’m beginning this year by re-reading some of the writings of C.S. Lewis. I’ve always found his writing insightful and inspiring, and it helps me to think about things more critically and Christ-centrically.

Here’s one passage that recently grabbed my attention…

God made us: invented us as a man invents an engine. A car is made to run on petrol, and it would not run properly on anything else. Now God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other. That is why it is just no good asking God to make us happy in our own way without bothering about religion. God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.

That is the key to history. Terrific energy is expended – civilizations are built up – excellent institutions devised; but each time something goes wrong. Some fatal flaw always brings the selfish and cruel people to the top and it all slides back into misery and ruin. In fact, the machine conks. It seems to start up all right and runs a few yards, and then it breaks down. They are trying to run it on the wrong juice. That is what Satan has done to us humans.

Is thee a better explanation for what is happening in the world?

But here’s the thing.

When the problem has been properly diagnosed, the solution becomes clear. So Lewis follows up his diagnosis of human history by pointing to the central Christian belief that “Christ’s death has somehow put us right with God and given us a fresh start.”

The current state of the world is crying out for a fresh start – the kind that can only be found in Jesus Christ.