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
we follow One who stood and wept at the grave of Lazarus-not surely, because He was grieved that Mary and Martha wept, and sorrowed for their lack of faith (though some thus interpret) but because death, the punishment of sin, is even more horrible in his eyes than in ours.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the deeper understanding of grief and death from a spiritual perspective.
C.S. Lewis emphasizes that the act of Jesus weeping at Lazarus's grave signifies a profound empathy towards human suffering, highlighting that death is a significant and tragic consequence of sin. This perspective suggests that while human beings may fear death and sorrow, Christ perceives it as even more dreadful, reinforcing the gravity of sin and the need for faith in the face of mortality.
Themes
DeathGriefFaithSinSuffering
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared during a eulogy to emphasize empathy in grief.
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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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