I am a Seer: Now what?

A common concern- almost an admission of defeat – comes from when a Christian admits, “I am a Seer.” And then adds, “Now what?” I will attempt a short series of brief posts (brief for me… I really do need an editor to “slash and burn” about half of what I write!) to try and provide guidance to Christians, whether you are serious about your faith or sort of “Easter/Christmas” believers or committed but unsure if and how you could reveal your ability to see in the spirit realm to your pastor.

We’ll back up just a bit with this post, however,

I have been reading “That Hideous Strength,” by C.S. Lewis, and came across a startling passage. At least it was to me. I had read this when I was a teenager, but I have a very different perspective on reality than I did back then. We live in era of transhumanism and engineered humanity and the integration of machine and human and National Institutes of Coordinated Experiments (although not under N.I.C.E appellation), and it seemed worth revisiting C.S. Lewis’ nearly prophetic fictional work. But I had forgotten to what level Lewis embraced a supernatural worldview, and incorporated it into his science fiction.

Excerpts from That Hideous Strength

The story is set in the post-War years, and concerns a young couple, scholars who don’t believe in the supernatural. After marrying, one became a college don, and the other, to her chagrin and dissatisfaction, a stay-at-home wife. This is a conversation between the wife, Jane, and a doctor, Miss Ironwood. Jane has started seeing things that she cannot explain, and fears she is going mad. Miss Ironwood offered an explanation.

“I am afraid I don’t believe in that sort of thing,” said Jane coldly.

“Your upbringing makes it natural that you should not,” replied Miss Ironwood…

“Can you do nothing for me?… I mean, can you stop it – cure it?”

“Vision is not a disease.”

“But I don’t want it,” said Jane passionately. “I must stop it. I hate this sort of thing.” Miss Ironwood said nothing.

“Don’t you ever know anyone who could stop it?” said Jane. “Can’t you recommend anyone.”

“If you go to an ordinary psychotherapist,” said Miss Ironwood, “he will proceed on the assumption that the dreams merely reflect your own subconscious. He would try to treat you. I do not know what would be the results of treatment based on that assumption. I am afraid they might be very serious. And — it would certainly not removed the dreams.”

“But what is this all about?” said Jane. “I want to lead an ordinary life. I want to do my won work. It’s unbearable! Why should I be selected for this horrible thing?”

“The answer to that is known only to authorities much higher than myself.”[ref] C.S. Lewis, That Hideous Strength (New York: Scribner Paperback Fiction, 1996), 66. [/ref]

Sound familiar?

Sometime later…

“Young lady,” said Miss Ironwood, “You do not at all realize the seriousness of this matter. The things you have seen concern something compared with which the happiness, or even the life, of you and me is of no importance. I must beg you to face the situation. You cannot get rid of your gift. You can try to suppress it, but you will fail, and you will be very badly frightened.  On the other hand, you can put it at our disposal. If you do so, you will be much less frightened in the long run and you will be helping to save the human race from a very great disaster. Or thirdly, you may tell someone else about it. If you do that, I warn you that you will almost certainly fall into the hands of other people who are at least as anxious as we are to make use of your faculty and who will care no more about your life and happiness than about those of a fly… I would advise you, even for your own sake, to join our side.” [ref] Ibid., 67. [/ref]

Somewhat later, Jane is having a conversation with two of her friends, Arthur Denniston and his wife Camilla.

“The Sura said that when the time came we should find what he called a seer: a person with second sight.”

“Not that we’d get a seer, Arthur,” said Camilla, “that a seer would turn up. Either we or the other side would get her.”

“And it looks,” said Denniston to Jane, “as if you were the seer.”

“But please,” said Jane, “I don’t want to be anything so exciting.”

“No,” said Denniston. “It’s rough luck on you.” …

And finally…

“But don’t you see,” broke in Camilla, “that you can’t be neutral? If you don’t give yourself to us, the enemy will use you.”

The words “give yourself to us” were ill-chosen. The muscles of Jane’s body stiffened a little…[ref]Ibid., 114-115[/ref]

But there it is. Ill-chosen or not, if you are a seer, you are caught up in a war. Whose side will you be on?

Choose

“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters,” said the Man who gave everything so that the Kingdom of God can overspread the earth, and allowing us to be participants with him. More on this next time.