A dogmatic belief in objective value is necessary to the very idea of a rule which is not tyranny or an obedience which is not slavery.
C. S. LewisRead
A man can eat his dinner without understanding exactly how food nourishes him. A man can accept what Christ has done without knowing how it works: indeed, he certainly would not know how it works until he has accepted it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Understanding isn't necessary for acceptance; one can embrace beliefs or experiences without fully grasping their complexities.
This quote by C. S. Lewis emphasizes that not all knowledge or understanding is required to accept certain truths or experiences. Just as one can enjoy a meal without analyzing the biochemical processes involved in nourishment, a person can embrace faith or profound beliefs without comprehending the full depth of their implications, suggesting that acceptance can exist independently of intellectual understanding.
Themes
FaithAcceptanceUnderstandingNourishmentBelief
In practice
Example use cases
During a sermon about faith, this quote can be used to illustrate how embracing belief doesn't always require complete understanding.
More from C. S. Lewis
All quotes →I enjoyed my breakfast this morning, and I think that was a good thing and do not think it was condemned by God. But I do not think myself a good man for enjoying it.
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Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.
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Forgiving and being forgiven are two names for the same thing. The important thing is that a discord has been resolved.
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I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I'm helpless. It doesn't change God - it changes me.
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The instrument through which you see God is your whole self. And if a man's self is not kept clean and bright, his glimpse of God will be blurred
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