In my last blog post, I listed a few quotes including this one:
There are certain doors you have to go through alone.
—Joe Banks (from Joe Versus the Volcano)
For one thing, I find it interesting that such a profound quote came from a movie that has such a ridiculous title. (By the way, if you haven’t seen that movie, you should watch it.) In response to a question from a friend of mine, JC, I’d like to explain what prompted me to post that quote.
A few years ago I read Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis. In this book, Lewis attempts to explain the basics of Christianity, those beliefs which are common to all Christian denominations and churches. Christianity, as the word implies, is about following and worshipping the Christ (“the anointed one”), Jesus. It is possible to be a follower of Christ without being a member of any particular church – not a member of Catholicism, Protestantism or Orthodoxy, for example, but subscribing only to “mere” Christianity.
After my last blog post, JC asked if the quote I posted above refers to this passage in Mere Christianity:
[Mere Christianity] is…like a hall out of which doors open into several rooms…it is in the rooms, not in the hall, that there are fires and chairs and meals. The hall is a place to wait in, a place from which to try the various doors, not a place to live in…. [While in the hall] you must keep on praying for light: and, of course, even in the hall, you must obey the rules which are common to the whole house. And above all, you must be asking which door is the true one; not which pleases you best by its paint and panelling. In plain language, the question should never be: “Do I like that kind of service?” but “Are these doctrines true: Is there holiness here? Does my conscience move me towards this? Is my reluctance to knock at this door due to my pride, or my mere taste, or my personal dislike of this particular door-keeper?”
I remembered this passage immediately, and although I was not consciously thinking of the passage when selecting the quote from Joe Banks, this idea is precisely what I was referring to. At the moment, I consider my religion to be roughly “mere Christianity.” In the terms of the analogy above, I have stepped into the hallway, which is a place unsuitable for any long stay. What remains, therefore, is for me to choose a door. And this is where the unexpectedly profound wisdom of Joe Banks, battler of volcanoes, comes in: I can seek advice from any number of people, read a library full of books, and pray for guidance, but in the end, only I can make a choice for myself, and I must do it alone. By “alone,” I mean that I could ask people of various denominations for their opinion on which variety of Christianity to choose, but practically everyone would favor their own denomination. Whichever door I choose, the decision will be mine alone.
My parents raised me as a Christian, and for this I am deeply grateful. They showed me where to look to find life for my soul, which is a greater gift than anything else I could ever receive. Now I think it’s time for me to find the style of Christianity that I believe is closet to the ultimate Truth. I haven’t yet made my decision, but I think I’m getting close. I hope that whatever choice I make doesn’t alienate me from any of my friends and family, but again, I have to choose the door and walk through it alone. One thing’s for sure: it’s drafty out here in this hallway. I want to find a room and go inside.