This is a speech I gave a while ago in my American Literature class as part of our enlightenment unit. Hope you like it!
You do not have a soul.
You ARE a soul. You have a body.
How does that make you feel? to believe that you are of divine origin, and have an eternal purpose? Some people might describe it as...enlightening.
So who was it that revealed this bit of wisdom? A pope? An Old Testament Prophet? No, it was the author C.S. Lewis. Clive Staples Lewis was born in Ireland in the late eighteen hundreds. Although raised as a Protestant, Lewis turned away from religion in his teenage years. His tutor, an atheist, had him consider religion closely and decide for himself. Lewis also developed and interest in Germanic paganism. By his twenties, he seemed devoutly against religion as we know it.
Yet that all changed for him in college. After serving in the British army in WW1, he attended Oxford University. One day, as he was riding home from class, he admitted to himself that he did believe in God. He studied the Bible and prayed much, finally deciding to return to Christianity.
Over the rest of his lifetime, he became known for his excellent writing in both fiction and nonfiction. His most popular series is probably The Chronicles of Narnia. These books allowed a small bridge to be formed between religion and literature, turning the story of Christ into a fantasy novel. He also wrote things like the Screwtape Letters, Mere Christianity, and Miracles, all centered around religion.
Lewis left the public eye rather unceremoniously. He ended up getting married at age 58. The woman he married was actually just a friend who couldn't live in Britain without being married to a citizen. They did not see their true love for each other until she was diagnosed with cancer a short time later. She passed away four years later in 1960. Lewis lived another three years and died at the age of 65.
Lewis will be forgotten by some. However, his contributions to both literature and religion are far too powerful to overlook. His clear, refreshed view on life was a blessing to all it reached.
