The Challenge

I had a wonderful opportunity to attend a dinner hosted by the C.S. Lewis Society.*  If you have not heard about this wonderful ministry, I encourage you to check out www.apologetics.org, which further explains the Society's mission:
"The mission of the C.S. Lewis Society is to empower believers and engage skeptics with Biblical truth and evidences for faith."

Originating from Princeton in 1975, the C.S. Lewis Society is currently based out of Florida's Trinity College. The Society hosts various events and outreach ministries, and maintains a blog and an extensive array of articles. 

Cameron was able to join me at the last minute. I figured she would enjoy the event and the nod to literary and scholarly discussion. The dinner was held in Clearwater, and we were able to enjoy the most beautiful, melting sunset as we crossed the bridge. I would have liked to have gone a little bit early, and perhaps stopped along the water to watch the sky for awhile, but we didn't have time... I had a clothing challenge because my biopsy sites are still unsightly. It all worked out, though, because the dining room was freezing, so my long sleeved top was a good idea after all.

Anyways, I titled this "The Challenge" because I had the opportunity to hear Dr. John Lennox share his thoughts on current academia's challenges and triumphs in the Creation vs. Darwinism teaching philosophy. Dr. Lennox is probably best known for his recent debate with the author of The God Delusion, a best-selling book by Richard Dawkins. Dr. Lennox is Irish, and has that thick,rolling accent that not only draws you into his words, but actually commands attention. He shared with us his testimony, his affiliation with the C.S. Lewis Society, and war stories from his debates with some of current society's experts on mathematics, science, and philosophy.

We were captivated. Although the catering staff was laughing through the swinging doors, and you could hear dishes and silverware clinking, the round tables in the banquet hall were silent. Dr. Lennox ended with the following statement:

"I told my wife of forty years that when I get to heaven, I will put my arm around her, look around us, and say, 'If I knew it [heaven] was going be like this, I would have spent more time investing in it.' "

Then he took a long look at all of us, paused for a moment in the silence, and exited his podium to growing, thunderous applause. In case I have not communicated through my writing, this was the challenge for all of us. 

His statement kind of puts things into perspective, doesn't it?

:)

Dr. Lennox was kind enough to chat with me for a few minutes after the event. What a fun night!

__________________________________

Cameron and I decided to ponder this stuff over some coffee. On our way to dinner, we passed this huge, brightly lit building that appeared to be a coffee haven. Naturally, we decided to drive by on our way back to check it out.

"Bay Coast Coffee Market" is a jaw dropping, espresso-dessert-soup-sandwich bar, and a market for coffee stuff! There were beautiful, gleaming espresso machines, thick, colorful mugs, and bins to scoop your own coffee beans. There was free wifi, small squatty chairs, corner booths, and high-top stools around marble tables. It is 11,000 square feet.

Sounds such as "oooh, ahhhh," "shiny," and "I love this" were heard throughout. Someone, who shall remain anonymous, did indeed clap her hands and squeal when she saw the glass panel above the bar that held probably 20 feet of draped newspapers. ("Cam! News! Look! News!)

Our mocha (decaf) lattes were amazing. What a cool place! Too bad it's all the way in Clearwater! :)

________________________________

John Lennox MA MA (Bioethics), Ph.D D.Phil D. Sc, is Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford and Fellow in Mathematics and Philosophy of Science, and Pastoral Advisor at Green College. He is also Lecturer at Wycliffe-Hall, University of Oxford and a Senior Fellow with the Trinity Forum. He has debated Professor Richard Dawkins in the “God Delusion Debate” organized by the Fixed-Point Foundation in Birmingham Alabama in 2007. He also debated Christopher Hitchens at the Edinburgh Festival and Dr Michael Shermer of Sceptic Magazine in Sydney, both in 2008. His most recent book is God’s Undertaker—Has Science buried God? (Lion-Hudson, Kregel 2007).

(Biography credit: The Trinity Forum; http://www.ttf.org/index/about/lennox/)

_____________________________________
*
In error, I originally posted that the dinner was sponsored by the C.S. Lewis Foundation. As you can see from the comment posted by the Director of Communications, the C.S. Lewis Society and the C.S. Lewis Foundation are different.

 Nevertheless, I have included the mission statement for the Foundation because I think it is so very eloquent and a worthy challenge for all of us in the academic environment:
"From its very inception until now, the C.S. Lewis Foundation has been devoted to one primary mission: namely that of enabling a genuine renaissance of Christian scholarship and artistic expression within the mainstream of the contemporary university." (Dr. J. Stanley Mattson, President)
www.cslewis.org