Perelandra (Ch.1/Part 1)

C. S. Lewis stars as himself in this opening chapter to Perelandra. This is more than simply a literary device to hook readers into the story. How CSL describes his approach to his relationship to Elwin Ransom and the rather odd (to say the least) circumstances of his life bear an uncanny likeness to his own coming to faith in God as he wrote it up in his book Surprised by Joy. I think we do well, then, to read this chapter as the confession of faith of one who described his real life turning to God in these words:

“You must picture me alone in that room in Magdalen, night after night, feeling, whenever my mind lifted even for a second from my work, the steady, unrelenting approach of Him whom I so earnestly desired not to meet. That which I greatly feared had at last come upon me. In the Trinity Term of 1929 I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed: perhaps, that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England. I did not then see what is now the most shining and obvious thing; the Divine humility which will accept a convert even on such terms. The Prodigal Son at least walked home on his own feet. But who can duly adore that Love which will open the high gates to a prodigal who is brought in kicking, struggling, resentful, and darting his eyes in every direction for a chance of escape? The words “compelle intrare,” compel them to come in, have been so abused be wicked men that we shudder at them; but, properly understood, they plumb the depth of the Divine mercy. The hardness of God is kinder than the softness of men, and His compulsion is our liberation” (Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life, 228-229).

It's hard not to see the reluctant, hesitant, skeptical, and resistant Lewis of this first chapter approaching his meeting with Ransom at his home with Lewis’ own turning to God. The eldil (see below) he feared to meet there is analogous to “Him whom I so earnestly desired not to meet” in his rooms at Magdalen. Nevertheless, he met them both!

And gave his life in service to them. After coming face-to-face (so to speak) with the eldil, none other than the great Oyarsa of Malacandra whom Ransom met on his earlier trip to that planet (Mars), the fictive Lewis says “For now I was quite obviously “drawn in.” The struggle was over. The next decision did not lie with me”  (The Space Trilogy, Omnib: Three Science Fiction Classics in One Volume: Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, That Hideous Strength . HarperCollins. Kindle Edition: 2802).

A further comparison is Lewis description of Ransom as a man whose trip to and experience on Mars left an indelible imprint on him: “A man who has been in another world does not come back unchanged” (2643). And more: these “eldila were not leaving him alone” (2648). Ransom witnessed to a life-changing experience marked by an ongoing relationship with that transforming power.

And in his real life such witness was borne to him by his friends J. R. R. Tolkien and Hugo Dyson who were importantly instrumental in CSL’s own turning to God.

I have two such witnesses instrumental in my own coming to faith at age 15. Most of us do, I suspect. It is good to remember and give thanks for such gifts of God to us. Who played that role as transformed and in a transforming relationship with God for you? Stop for a moment and thank God for them.

Now, about those eldila. They are CSL’s version of angels. They have no bodies (as do we) but do not lack form. Usually transparent to the human eye they occasionally can be glimpsed as something like a ray of light in different colors, Eldila (plural of eldil) are creatures of Maleldil (the Creator) and do his bidding. Oyarsas are the eldila charged with ruling over the planets. Perhaps like archangels in the Bible.

Well, that’s enough to get us started. I hope you are reading or rereading the story as we make our through it in this series. Next time we’ll reflect on Lewis’ view of the world in Perelandra and the whole space trilogy.