The Glorious Ruin

The Glorious Ruin:

C.S. Lewis, one of the most influential writers and Christian Philosophers of this past generation, described the current state of man in the most succinct way I have ever heard. He says: “Man is A Glorious Ruin”. These two words are the key to unlocking the events of history, and the telescope by which to view the future. Any philosophy arising from the mind of man, if it does not take into account both of these words, Glorious and Ruin, is destined to failure. Humanism, (that is, starting from oneself to find a meaningful existence) leaves out the “Ruin” quotient. It views man as completely autonomous, able to forge for himself a life purpose that will have real value while he is here, and staying power when he is gone. Humanism dictates that man can solve every problem on his own, and is full master of his own destiny. “You can do whatever you want, if you try hard enough.” Sound familiar?
How we think as Americans is based on a primarily humanistic, individualistic, I can do anything, philosophy. The scary part of humanism, is that we can do almost anything. God says to the Trinity in Genesis, “And Nothing shall be impossible for them.” This aspect of man, the Glorious part, is what makes humanism so dangerous. We are made in the image of God, and we are a powerful race. Man has tamed much of the world, and is now expanding into realms of science and psychology that have never been plumbed before. In the last 100 years our world has seen the greatest advances and some of the greatest failures in all of history. The fruits of a humanistic Western society are coming to fruition, and all the evidence points to a great fact: our Fall has warped us, but our “Ruins” are nevertheless a monument to our Glorious intention. We were destined for a peaceful life as rulers and stewards of this world. We are a truly noble race. C.S. Lewis, in one of my favorite quotes says: “There are no Ordinary people. It is immortals that we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit.” Everyday that I am on the ARC campus I am struck with this startling reality. The halls filled with people, many of them simply unaware of their grand purpose and how truly “Glorious” they are. Many have bought the lie of humanism, and having failed to make a meaningful existence for themselves, they have resigned to live lives of “quiet desperation.”
All of this can paint a dismal picture. I know it often does for me. I come home feeling sad, sometimes angry, and most often filled with a huge sense of sorrow over the discrepancy of where we should be and where we are. However, this is where the hope comes in.
The only way we can understand the real impact of what Jesus did, is by looking at what we are without him. We are indeed a Glorious Ruin, but Jesus said “I have come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Herein lies our hope; not in politics, not in our own drive to try and change the world, but in the One who has come to rebuild the Ruin’s
and restore them to their original splendor.