C.S.Lewis wrote: . . . Men are mirrors, or “carriers” of Christ to other men. Sometimes unconscious carriers. This “good infection” can be carried by those who have not got it themselves. People who are not Christians themselves helped me to Christianity. But usually it is those who know Him that bring Him to others. That is why the Church, the whole body of Christians showing Him to one another, is so important. . . .
But do not forget this. At first it is natural for a baby to take its mother’s milk without knowing its mother. It is equally natural for us to see the man who helps us without seeing Christ behind him. But we must not remain babies. We must go on to recognize the real Giver. It is madness not to. Because, if we do not, we shall be relying on human beings. And that is going to let us down. The best of them will make mistakes; all of them will let us down. We must be thankful to all the people who have helped us, we must honor them and love them. But never, never pin your whole faith on any human being: not if he is the best and wisest in the whole world. There are lots of nice things you can do with sand; but do not try building a house on it.
And now we begin to see what the New Testament is always talking about. It talks about Christians “being born again”; about Christ ‘being formed in us”; about our coming to “have the mind of Christ.”
Put right out of your head the idea that these are only fancy ways of saying that Christians are to read what Christ said and try to carry it out—as a man may read what Plato or Marx said and try to carry it out. They mean something much more than that. They mean that a real Person, Christ, here and now, in that very room where you are saying your prayers, is doing things for you. It’s not a question of a good man who died two thousand years ago. It is a living Man, still as much a man as you, and still as much a God as when He created the world, really coming and interfering with your very self; killing the old natural self in you and replacing it with the kind of self He has. At first only for moments. Then for longer periods. Finally, if all goes well, turning you permanently into a different sort of thing; into a new little Christ, a being which, in its own small way, has the same kind of life as God; which shares in His power, joy, knowledge and eternity. ~ C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, (Macmillan Publishing Co.,Inc. New York, NY, 1943,45,52) p.163-64
