Mere Christianity became more than a dream, more than a catechism, more a message of hope when C.S. Lewis took up his pen. Actually the first thing he took up was the microphone at the BBC for his broadcast talks during WW2.
That made it apparent he had a capability the rest of us can only envy. He gained the wrapt attention of the populace (or at least of its Home Service listeners). The author of ‘Prologue to Paradise Lost’ etc had learned what could be done with words that had not lost their shine. He was free to do without archaic or obsolete jargon.
‘Mere’ Christianity had become submerged under a weight of investigation and specialised vocabulary. The same thing has happened in astronomy. Once we were content to see the great red spot on Jupiter. We marvelled at the giant planet itself. Now we read about moons, rings and auroras and theories about its nature. Try putting the word ‘mere’ in front of other matters of interest –property ownership, for example, or forestry. If we are free from words like ‘lien’ or ‘transpiration’ we can get down to talking about houses and trees.
We need to preserve mereness. It may enable us to concentrate on the issue rather than the clothes in which it comes to us. If we fail to do so, we play into the hands of those who are thinking of particular overtones rather than the subject itself.
Mathematicians know all about mereness. They take pi to its furthest known destination. This is 62.8 trillion decimal places. This is sheer or mere numbering. You can’t get much merer than that. . And of course you can also shear a sheep. A mere animal emerges once you have removed the abundant wool. This mere animal may even be called a lamb.
There is much use of the word ‘mere’. We talk of a mere coincidence. We mean an unforeseen encounter, a meaningless convergence, a case of one thing following another without logical or programmed intent. It may be a mere muddle. ‘Mere’ cuts someone or something down to size. ‘It was a mere pin-prick,’ we say.
Christianity is a fascinating loyalty to investigate. All too readily it becomes talkative and protective by hedging itself about with jargon. We need to see Christianity in all its mereness.
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