On Piper, on Lewis.

On desire, John Piper says this in a blog post from August 3, 2009:

"[...] all the debased enjoyments of the world are echoes of the joys of heaven. The analysis of this is worth a lifetime. And one effect of such an analysis would be to take the notion of “seeker-sensitive” ten miles deeper into Truth. How to penetrate the soul whose every desire is for Heaven while hating Heaven—that is the task."

Blogging about this concept of desire, Piper references the biography The Narnian about C.S. Lewis, and the references made in it to Lewis' own The Screwtape Letters. I love this idea of joy, and both Lewis and Piper have both been hugely influential in my own thinking as I have come to see this truth - namely, that every human desire is a desire for Heaven and for God Himself. Any desire, however big or small, is nothing less than this. Every good gift comes down from God, and is meant to reflect him like rays of light from the sun. As Piper says above, this should be stirring up in a Christian the desire to take unbelievers and fellow believers alike, ten miles deeper into God's Truth than we do. We need to pursue, and help others to pursue a joy in God Himself, because only He can satisfy.