“And above all you must be asking which door is the true one.”
The quote above comes from the last few paragraphs of the preface to Mere Christianity, Lewis’ famous apologia for the moral law, the existence of God, and the basic Christian gospel. In the preface, Lewis, an Anglican, begins by answering potential objections from fellow Christians, in particular the concern that he is dismissing the problem of “Which Church?” or that he is setting up “mere Christianity” itself as an alternative, selfsufficient theology. In response, Lewis explains:
I hope no reader will suppose that “mere” Christianity is here put forward as an alternative to the creeds of the existing communions—as if a man could adopt it in preference to Congregationalism or Greek Orthodoxy or anything else. It is more like a hall out of which doors open into several rooms. If I can bring anyone into that hall I shall have done what I attempted. But it is in the rooms, not in the hall, that there are fires and chairs and meals. The hall is a place to wait in, a place from which to try the various doors, not a place to live in.
Lewis’ goal in Mere Christianity was to bring the nonbeliever to faith in Jesus Christ, and as so many conversion stories attest, he was quite successful in doing just that. But as Lewis himself insists, this “mere Christianity” is not a “room” but a “hallway”, and “which [Church] is the true one” must remain a key question for discernment and ultimately for decision.
Lewis goes on to give five pieces of advice worth reflecting upon for every Christian journeyer:
1. Be Asking Which Door is True. First, we must be seeking what is true and distinguishing this from our mere preferences. Lewis continues from the passage earlier:
[Y]ou must be asking which door is the true one; not which pleases you best by its paint and paneling. In plain language, the question should never be: “Do I like that kind of service?” but “Are these doctrines true: Is holiness here? Does my conscience move me towards this?
We’re not merely looking for a door that suits us, whether because it matches our current theological conclusions, liturgical or aesthetic preferences, or even, necessarily, because we get along with or find particularly impressive the people (currently) occupying the room. Our guiding question should be: “which church is true?”
We might add an additional clarifying emphasis to Lewis’ advice here that in looking for the Church that is true, part of what we mean is that we are looking for the Church that has true apostolic authority—authority to discern, to guard, and to teach the deposit of faith. If this search for truth remains purely a matter of individual interpretation, no “mere Christian” would ever be able to fully and finally resolve all of the potential theological questions. The crucial question is: which church can I trust to teach with authority? To which church did Christ send the Holy Spirit to guide it into all truth? (John 16:13)
2. Examine Your Motivations. Secondly, Lewis drives the point home further in challenging us to look inward and consider our motivations in relationship to the truth-question itself:
“Is my reluctance to knock at this door due to my pride, or my mere taste, or my personal dislike of this particular door-keeper?”
As one considers the objective question of “What is true?”, one must be wary of the subjective question of “Why do *I* believe this or that?” To extend Lewis’ analogy more generally: every one of us has doors we want to be the right ones and doors we are afraid to open. Many people (and this may have been true for Lewis himself) carry around with them a lot of baggage and prejudice toward the Catholic Church as a result of their upbringing and experiences. Part of the journey is recognizing the fears and desires that influence us so that we can be more open to receiving and embracing the truth in its fullness.
3. Trust in God’s Timing. While we believe that if we sincerely seek the truth that God will open the door to our knocking, sometimes His timing is hard to understand. Lewis writes:
It is true that some people may find they have to wait in the hall for a considerable time, while others feel certain almost at once which door they must knock at. I do not know why there is this difference, but I am sure God keeps no one waiting unless He sees that it is good for him to wait. When you do get into your room you will find that the long wait has done you some kind of good which you would not have had otherwise.
Why does God seem to give one person clarity while another remains searching for a long time? There is a mystery of grace here. Lewis reminds us that, in His providence, God is working all things for good (Romans 8:28) even if we can’t yet see how.
4. Walk by the Light You’ve Been Given. And when the answers are slow to come, or when there are knots that take time to untangle, Lewis reminds us to:
[K]eep on praying for light: and, of course, even in the hall, you must begin trying to obey the rules which are common to the whole house.
Whether the journey takes two weeks or 10 years, we must remain faithful every step of the way, living according to the light we have been given. Every Christian is called to prayer, conversion of heart, and to carry out the duties and opportunities of their state in life. In remaining faithful in these little things, we can trust that God will give more light when He is ready.
5. Pray for Those Who Choose Differently. On a final ecumenical note, Lewis reminds us to be kind to fellow journeyers:
When you have reached your own room, be kind to those who have chosen different doors and to those who are still in the hall. If they are wrong they need your prayers all the more.
Our goal at the Coming Home Network has never been to stand in judgement or to “push, pull, or prod” fellow Christians into the Catholic Church—that’s not how conversion works! Rather, our mission has been to stand beside pastors and laypeople as they explore Catholicism; to share the truth and beauty we’ve found in the Catholic Church and to pray for, assist, and encourage them on the journey. With Lewis, we encourage fellow Christians to keep asking which door is the true one, as we persevere together in prayer and fidelity to Jesus.
