A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis is an in depth journal of mourning for his wife whom recently died. Lewis paints a picture of internal doubts, hardships, questions of life and God with complete honesty. Lewis allows himself to be vulnerable before his readers. Even though originally his journal was published under a pseudonym, you can still understand his anguish over her death. His Christian perspective is clear and vivid even without knowing it is Lewis writing. I find it amazing to be able to get insight from a man with so much knowledge to give, even is his times of grief. In referring to his faith, Lewis writes, “Because the things I am believing are only a dream, or because I only dream that I believe them?” This statement just blows me away. Here Lewis allows himself to question what he has staked his entire life around. How much hurt and pain does he feel, to compare his faith to a dream. In a sense, if dreams are just wisps of our imagination, than what role has his faith played in his life, if it can just be swept away. The image he paints of a house of cards in comparison to his faith is just as profound. This concept that her death has caused him to feel like his stability in God has fallen down. I think this shows us that it is ok to grieve and that at the same token its important in the process of mourning. It’s hard to feel peace in a situation without wrestling through it first. I think the church in general wants the body to praise ones death if they’re a Christian, because they’re in a “better place”. But is that really healthy? To cover a wound, with a false smile. I mean maybe for some people that’s an option. But I feel the reality here is most people fake can lot of things in life, but grief isn’t one of those things.
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