Feb

02

2010

Justin Taylor|3:56 pm CT

Freedom from the Tyranny of Novelty

John Piper on C.S. Lewis’s ever-relevant indifference to relevance:

He loved the wisdom of the ages, not the whimsy of the passing present. He called himself a Neanderthaler and a dinosaur. He didn’t read newspapers. He never wore a watch. He never learned to type. He did not own or drive a car. He cared nothing about cutting a good appearance and wore the same old clothes until they were threadbare. He was incredibly free from the addicting powers of the present moment.

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4 Comments

  1. Brad Williams
    February 2, 2010 at 6:30 pm

    Well, I don’t wear a watch to be relevant, but to be on time. I learned to type so I could write. I have a car because I need one. And is there a space between sloppy and vain in clothing?

    I like the wisdom of the ages. I like this fancy gadget we have called a computer. Isn’t it an irony that we point this sort of thing out on the internet? I mean, the guy didn’t read the newspaper.

    • J.Clark
      February 3, 2010 at 9:32 am

      Gouging out your eye and cutting off your hand are for those who want to be free of the lust and vanity of this world. Wisdom tells us that we work that out in our lives differently depending on our weaknesses and needs. You wear a watch and he did not. Hopefully, you’re after the same thing though. While Lewis wore a suit maybe you’ll just wear slacks and a button up.

  2. Adam Omelianchuk
    February 3, 2010 at 7:13 am

    All you Kindle readers repent!

  3. C.S. Lewis is NOT Cool | S.D. Smith
    February 5, 2010 at 5:05 am

    [...] Justin Taylor This entry was posted on Friday, February 5th, 2010 at 6:00 am and is filed under Quotations [...]

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