First Steps – March 8, 2021

G. K. Chesterton (1874-1936) was an apologist in his day.  He was an avid writer and artist.  When he set out to define his own religion, he realized that a definition already existed in the creeds of Christianity.  He likened his discovery of existing creeds to that of an English yachtsman who miscalculated his course and discovered England under the impression that it was a new island in the South Sea.  He said, “I have discovered England.”  

For him, the value of Christian Tradition (Church History) couldn’t be overvalued.  For Chesterton, “Tradition refuses to submit to the small and arrogant oligarchy of those who merely happen to be walking about…tradition objects to [people] being disqualified by the accident of death.”  I would agree because there is much to learn from those who have finished their course and have kept the faith.  They continue to provide the living with examples of faith.

Never wearied of joy, Chesterton filled his days with the enjoyment of life, his friends, the love of a devoted wife, and his social causes.  Though he often found himself in the political minority, his writings were widely admired.  Chesterton described the saint as medicinal because [he/she] is an antidote whereas the saint restores the world to sanity by exaggerating whatever the world neglects.  For me, I love his quote, “Despair does not lie in being weary of suffering, but in being weary of joy.”   

Perhaps, in 2021, the focus of joy is a lesson for us.  Chesterton didn’t have to look for joy, he realized it was all around him waiting to be experienced. Look for all the joy around you, see it as a gift from God. Experience it and allow God’s Spirit to minister to your soul.  

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.” – Philippians 4:6