Why "St. Cuthbert's Island"?

Saint Cuthbert was a Celtic monk who lived in the 7th century.
He received visitors at his monastery in Northumbria and was even appointed a bishop, but he yearned for the life of an ascetic. While living at the monastery on the island of Lindisfarne, he sought to spend time with the Lord whenever possible. Early on, he practiced solitude on a small island that was linked to Lindisfarne by a land bridge when the tide was low. This tiny island, known as Saint Cuthbert’s Island, was a training ground of sorts—a place to grow in faith and in love for God.

I chose to name my blog after this island for two reasons:
1) I hope that it will be a place where I can spend time alone with God, growing in my love for Him.
2) Perhaps, when the tide is low, others may find their way to this tiny island
and, by God’s grace, be blessed by what they find there.

Friday, November 2, 2007

All Saints' (2) C.S. Lewis

The Christian way is different: harder, and easier.

Christ says, "Give me All.

I don't want so much of your time

and so much of your money

and so much of your work:

I want You.

I have not come to torment your natural self,

but to kill it.

No half-measures are any good.

I don't want to cut off a branch here and a branch there,

I want to have the whole tree down.

Hand over the whole natural self,

all the desires which you think innocent

as well as the ones you think wicked--the whole outfit.

I will give you a new self instead.

In fact, I will give you Myself:

my own will shall become yours."

Both harder and easier that what we are all trying to do.

You have noticed, I expect, that Christ Himself

sometimes describes the Christian way as very hard,

sometimes as very easy.

He says, "Take up your Cross"--in other words,

it is like going to be beaten to death

in a concentration camp.

Next minute he says,

"My yoke is easy and my burden light."

He means both.

And one can just see why both are true.



From Mere Christianity

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