Choosing to Notice My Famous Neighbor

It’s a classic idea for a romance story. A prince, a princess, or a wealthy heir for some reason goes undercover and lives as an ordinary, unassuming character. In the course of everyday life, someone gets to know the royal or moneyed individual as just a common, regular person and falls in love. And then at a strategic moment in the story, it is revealed that the one he or she loves is so much more than was first recognized. Wedding bells soon are ringing.

Audiences seem to never really get tired of imagining this kind of scenario. It gratifies a certain desire for happiness – the kind that jumps out and pleasantly surprises. Choosing someone even when his or her fame or glory is hidden or completely unknown reveals a purity of love that we all find attractive. But does this kind of thing ever really happen outside of a Hallmark movie?

In the essay, The Weight of Glory, C.S. Lewis touches on this subject in his own unique way. He starts by exploring human desire and the ways we work to satisfy it. He challenges the reader to see that God is not asking us to repress all our longings and cravings. Rather, our Maker is wanting us to learn to redirect our desires and appreciate the pleasures He designed for us to live in and enjoy forever. The form of bliss Lewis explores is that of being seen, applauded, and praised by someone we recognize as greater than ourselves. This sort of pleasure is obvious in a Golden Retriever as it relishes in its master’s praise. It is also noticeable in a child who is verbally affirmed by a teacher or parent. And even adults, whether they admit it or not want to hear words of support and encouragement from a boss who has high expectations. To be seen and praised by one who is in an authority position can stir a heart on to greater accomplishment, touching a longing we might not even know we had.

Where does this desire come from and . . . where can it take us?

Forever Famous?!

The words “well done, good and faithful servant” form a biblical phrase (Matthew 25:23) that followers of Jesus long to hear. To have these words spoken to me from God, my Maker and Heavenly Father, capsulizes what my soul craves – ultimate acceptance and approval. Lewis calls it being famous with God or sharing in His glory. And this is part of the Gospel message. Those who put their faith in Christ are promised to one day share His glory with Him (Romans 8:17, Colossians 3:4). At the heart of my hope is the belief that no matter how overlooked and forgotten I feel now, there is One who sees me and will one day astonish me with His gracious acclaim and applause before the eternal heavenly host. 

Will we blush in heaven?

To believe this can feel like one is embracing a fantasy. It seems like too much, maybe even egotistical? And yet it is exactly what we’re promised as sons and daughters of God. All throughout the New Testament Jesus calls His followers to desire and seek the Kingdom of God before all else (Matthew 6:33). He promises there will be pain and suffering in the process, but it will be capped off with glory! And it will be the kind that doesn’t fade. Eternal glory is part of our inheritance!

Any Problems with This?

There are two main challenges I see with this idea, however. The first is in truly believing it. Being famous and exalted seems so counterintuitive to what a lot of us associate with the Christian faith. And yet our hope of glory is part of being welcomed into the Family of God as royalty. Our Heavenly Father’s eternal plans for us far outweigh the “light and momentary afflictions” (2 Corinthians 4:17) we are going through on this earth. It’s a matter of believing that our God has beautiful surprises in store for His kids.

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him’” (1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT).

The second challenge is one that C.S. Lewis addresses in his essay. And it is the problem that can arise if we, God’s children, are continually meditating on our own fame and glory right now. Will this not lead to self-absorption and caring for only one’s own interests in a way that contradicts the very foundation of love and representing God well? Yes, it is possible, and likely. Part of believing the Gospel is trusting salvation through Christ to open the door to a glorious eternal future. And we have been given a way to keep it all in proper perspective here on this earth – seeing others through His eyes of love.

Seeing Them How God Sees Them

I am not the only one who has been destined for fame and glory. All around me are people who are made by God and intended to live forever. Their fame and approval are also on our Heavenly Father’s heart. They are far more valuable than I can possibly determine though my own eyes and mere human evaluation. By focusing on their potential glory, intended by their Maker, I can see others more rightly.

Lewis famously writes, “It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you see it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities . . . that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal.”*

May My Eyes Be Opened

As I dare to believe in the unimaginable glory awaiting me, may my attention be on the glory being offered to those around me. As I grow to see the grandeur and beauty of my neighbor as God sees him or her, I become even more aligned with the Gospel message of grace. There is glory next door in my neighbor if I will let my Heavenly Father give me eyes to see it. He wants to show me. I interact with potential princes, princesses, or heirs of unfathomable wealth every day.

Living with this as my reality changes my behavior. I cannot treat those around me as being mere “nobodies” anymore.

Response:

• Where are my longings, hopes, and dreams focused on things less than eternal? How might I begin to recenter my desires on bringing pleasure to God?
• What can I do to begin to remind myself that everyone around me is intended to live forever? How might this change how I treat and respond to them, particularly the ones that appear and behave very inglorious right now?
• Jesus, teach me to see others through your eyes of eternity.

*The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses by C.S. Lewis, 1949, 1980, Simon & Schuster, p. 39.

(Edited and reposted from January 22, 2024 “Choosing to See Glory Next Door”)