Introduction
Welcome to the latest installment of The Inklings Option.
With Holy Week behind us, I find myself once again seated at my keyboard, ready to delve into the realm of "serious" writing. This essay represents the fourth installment in what I consider the core sequence of this series. For those who may have missed the preceding journeys, allow me to provide a map to guide you through our explorations thus far.
Canonical
You can read first installment called “The Introduction to the Inklings Option” here.
You can read the second installment called “Many Meetings” here.
You can read the third installment called “The Church as Miniature Rivendells” here, here, and here. Note, there’s still one more to release in this installment titled “Rivendell as a Fortress.” I will release it shortly as I don’t want to miss my moment here with this, and you’ll see what I mean momentarily.
Non-Canonical
You can also find my “Inklings Option Adjacent” writings here, here, here, here, and here. Note, they are “adjacent”, and I don’t count them as being a part of The Inklings Option series.
Now, with introductions made and paths illuminated, let us embark on our journey once more.
Head in the Heavens
We are living in a time where there is a fascination with the heavens.
This isn’t really a new phenomenon. Moses records in Genesis 1:14 that it has been this way from the beginning. God put the heavenly lights in the heavens and that they “are for signs and for seasons.” (Gen. 1:14). Since the creation, humanities have always been looking above to make sense of what is happening below.
Across the annals of history, every civilization has been ensnared by the allure of the heavens. From the ancient megalithic sites meticulously aligned with astronomical phenomena to the ornate temples and tombs adorned with celestial motifs, the heavens have woven themselves into the fabric of human existence. Kings have risen and fallen, their destinies intertwined with the celestial dance, as ancient civilizations charted the stars to affirm divine providence and claim celestial endorsement of earthly rule.
Among Christians, you will find a couple of attitudes towards the lights in the sky. One is “Astrology! We mustn’t look there because the heavens have no influence over us. God alone does.” Another attitude is a fascination with things like the upcoming eclipse, “moon rust,” and of course, flat earth. It’s two extremes, really. One is an attitude of total rejection; the other is an attitude of total fascination. Yet, amidst these extremes, lies a nuanced perspective that transcends simplistic dichotomies.
Whenever I’ve looked at Christians who came before us, especially The Inklings, I’ve found that the way they thought about the heavens was different than both of these extremes. It was a perspective that doesn’t fall into thinking that the powers above have no meaning and that they also don’t control our fate.
They rejected the thought of Ancient Egypt, especially codified in the mysterious Egyptian-Greek writer Hermes Trismegistus (Though he does oddly appear in an ancient cathedral presented as a contemporary of Moses) who wrote of the seven heavens in his Hermetica:
“The Mind of the Cosmos created from fire and air the seven administrators who regulate Destiny — the five visible planets and the sun and moon whose orbits encompass the world of the senses. These celestial powers known by thought alone, are called the gods, and they preside over the world. They are ruled over by the goddess Destiny, who transforms everything according to the law of nature, growth, creating from the permanent unchanging Reality a permanently changing world.”
They also would reject the modern thought that the heavens above have no influence whatsoever on the earth. That’s because Scripture clearly indicates otherwise. The author of Judges 5:20 records “they fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.” The author of Job 38:31 mentions the “sweet influence of Pleiades.”
Thus, the question emerges: What insights can the Inklings provide into Christian conceptions of the heavens? Through their literary and theological explorations, they invite us to embrace a perspective that acknowledges the celestial realm's significance without succumbing to idolatry or superstition. As we delve deeper into their writings, we embark on a journey of discovery, guided by their wisdom and illuminated by the timeless truths enshrined in scripture.
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