The Reading Today
• Daily Theme: The illusion of earning good marks from God, transactional faith, and the analogy of the sixpence.• Source Material: Mere Christianity
My Reflection
Today’s passage immediately had my brow furrowed and a very large question mark hanging over my head. Lewis describes a kind of ‘transactional Christian’—someone who thinks they can strike a bargain with the Almighty or, as Kate Bush would so brilliantly put it, make a ‘deal with God’.
His description left me astounded. I do not think I have ever met a person who truly believes they could somehow put the Creator in their debt; in fact, I find the very idea laughable. Perhaps I am just approaching today’s passage from my own limited perspective, but my approach to faith is, and always will be, one of humility.
The recognition that I am not perfect and simply desirous of His love and care is how I approach my faith. Whilst I do not adhere to strict Christian theological dogma, I feel that my relationship with the divine is purely personal. It does not require any third-party validation—namely, the clergy, of whom I have very little trust. That being said, I am still happy sitting in a church and quietly enjoying the services it offers. I do not blindly follow scripture, either. Even though we are taught that biblical texts are the word of God and divinely inspired, I struggle to completely trust anything written by Man that purports to be absolute.
Lewis’s final example today—of a child asking for a sixpence in order to purchase a present for their father—also left me a bit confused. How else would a child be able to obtain the finances to buy a gift unless it was given by the parent? Obviously, the parent is ‘down a sixpence’ on the transaction, but surely the pure intention and good motive of the child is the true reward for the father, not the material gain.
Perhaps I have slightly misunderstood Lewis's core message here, which seems to be a recurring theme during my journey with his writings! Still, I genuinely hope that nobody out there is foolish enough to think that there could ever be a transactional element in a relationship with the Deity.
Why This Matters
Viewing faith as a personal, humble relationship rather than a business contract frees us from the anxiety of trying to "earn" our keep. When we let go of the need for absolute dogma or transactional score-keeping, we can simply appreciate the quiet, personal connection we have with the divine.
My Action for Today
Today, I will rest in the knowledge that my quiet, non-transactional faith is enough. I will continue to approach my beliefs with humility, trusting my own personal relationship over strict dogma or external validation.
Reader Question
Have you ever encountered the kind of 'transactional' believer Lewis describes, who treats faith like a bargain or a celestial exam?
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