The Joy of Sehnsucht

The problem with our desires not being strong enough

Sehnsucht is a German word that means “desire” or “longing.” It is the word that C.S. Lewis used to talk about his journey towards following Christ and away from Atheism. He described himself as “the most reluctant convert in all of England.” He talked about this desire and longing as something that pierces us like a sword and is almost like an unnameable mystery that we only experience as a shadow in this world but that we will understand fully in the next one.

This is what we also see in Narnia. When the Pevensie children enter the Wardrobe they are immediately transported into deeper desires and longings that their hearts had only known in part in their world. The invitation is there also for us to enter the Wardrobe and know this deep desire!

(This is a hand created ornament that can be bought at A Fine Quotation )

When I think of where we are at in our world today, we need to be baptized again in the Joy of Sehnsucht. We are far too easily numbed by our pleasures, our addictions, our habits that are hideouts for our soul. We spend thousands of dollars on our kids sports programs, following our favorite sports teams, halloween costumes for our animals (I have never and will never do this one) and so on and so on. My goal here is not to shame you but to awaken a desire for deeper things in you. Another one of the things that Lewis said was that we as people, “are far too easily pleased.”

Where are your deepest desires and longing centered around?

If we sit with this question and really let it sink into our minds and hearts, and write down what comes to our mind, and then share it with someone that we trust - transformation could happen in our lives. Are we willing to go there?

Today is a significant day for Lewis enthusiasts and scholars like myself. It was an autumn day of November 22, 1963 when the world was robbed of three incredible human beings. These three great men all died today and the world has never been the same.

Clive Staples Lewis

John F. Kennedy

Aldous Huxley

Most of the world only remembers Kennedy’s death but Lewis and Huxley had made significant impact in their world with their writings. Lewis had spent his life writing because it was a fire in his bones that needed to get out and The Divine used that powerfully to create desire and longing in people.

Here are some of my favorite images of Lewis because they show him where he spent most of his time, at his desk in his house, The Kilns, in Oxford. A few years ago I was honored to get a private tour of his home from Lewis scholar, Colin Duriez and it was incredible. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I got to stand in this room and stare at his desk with some of his letters to people still on the desk.

There is healthy debate about which one of C.S. Lewis’ books is the best one. My vote is a tie between two of them. The first one is Mere Christianity, the book that Lewis first gave on the BBC radio during World War II called “Broadcast Talks.” This book has been the biggest influence on my life and faith. The second is The Great Divorce, which is an allegory and a theological dream vision of a bus ride that explores the concepts of Hell and Heaven. Here is a quote from The Great Divorce that he writes in the preface of the book before the novel starts.

“I do not think that all who choose wrong roads perish; but their rescue consists in being put back on the right road. A sum can be put right: but only by going back till you find the error and working it afresh from that point, never by simply going on. Evil can be undone, but it cannot 'develop" into good. Time does not heal it. The spell must be unwound, bit by bit, ' with backward mutters of dissevering power'—or else not. It is still 'either-or'. If we insist on keeping Hell (or even Earth) we shall not see Heaven: if we accept Heaven we shall not be able to retain even the smallest and most intimate souvenirs of Hell.” C.S. Lewis

Reading these words cause me to simply be silent and contemplate everything. These words create desire and longing in me that other things fall short to satisfy. I just celebrated my 51st birthday last month and the older I get, the more I find myself a desire to slow down and notice the beauty of this world all around me.

A few weeks ago I spent time in the United Kingdom and Ireland. One of my favorite days of the trip was meeting my spiritual director who lives in Scotland. We each took a train to meet each other in the Scottish Highlands and we took a 5 mile hike through the mountains.

Walking through this land, I was suddenly overcome with the thought that I was in a Thin Place. A thin place has its roots with Celtic Christianity but also is seen in the Scriptures as well. In the Temple, there was a curtain that separated the open space where priests could be and the Holy of Holies where only the High Priest could go once a year. Celtic Christians were deeply connected to the Earth that God made and had a deep desire and longing for more of a special experience with The Divine.

This hike for me was a Thin Place. My sense of the sacred was more pronounced and I felt like I was in a holy moment of the Joy of Sehnsucht.

One of my favorite verses is 1 Peter 1:8 where he says,

“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.”

The “him” that is referenced is talking about Jesus of Nazareth who after being killed by the Roman Empire and buried in a cave tomb, three days later was raised to life by the power of the Holy Spirit. He appeared to nearly 500 people over a 40 day period and began a revolution of love and hope. For as much trauma and church hurt that I have experienced in my life, I still hold on to Jesus even though I have not seem him with my eyes. I am filled with this inexpressible and glorious joy.

Sehnsucht

The joy of desire and longing for the sacred journey.

Over the last few weeks I have been mulling these words over from Prince Caspian. “Every year you grow, you will find me bigger.”

Every year I grow I find God bigger than ever. More robust, welcoming more people, offering more love.

One of my friends always says, “Let’s set a longer table instead of building a bigger wall.” I like that.

This is the Joy of Sehnsucht my friends.

Grace and Peace

Matt