Lessons learned from A Severe Mercy Part 1

For the next few days, I will be featuring the book, A Severe Mercy by dedicating the posts to lessons I learned from the book.  A Severe Mercy is written by Sheldon Vanauken.  

The sweet inscription inside the front cover

I first heard of the book, A Severe Mercy through a different blog.  I thought if it's blogging about it must be worth reading.  I bought a used copy for $2.09 and sat down for two days diligently reading it until I was finished.  I wanted to read and understand each detail.  However, with the great human depth exhibited in this book, I've decided to read it once more in another month to make sure I have gotten the full meaning and understanding.  This book is about a couple's love story and their quest for faith and truth.  Also, included in the book is the story of the friendship between this couple and C.S. Lewis of which 18 of Lewis' letters are included in the book.  The best part is that this love story is TRUE (written by the husband himself) and MEANINGFUL.  Much better than anything like The Notebook or P.S. I Love You (even though they follow the same kind of plot).  I learned many things....all of which have been noted by tabs or highlighted.  

Page 204

First Lesson Learned:
I've always struggled with the idea of a death of a spouse.  I've always thought that it's realistic to maybe move on after their death.  However, would I be able to move on if I've already built a whole life with them- a house, a career, children, unconditional love?  Or is there a unsaid norm saying that you can't fall in love again if you have all of those things, but maybe if you've never had kids or are not married you are permissed to move on and fall in love once or twice more.  Is it realistic to move on, to part with the romantical idea that love goes beyond "death do us part"?  How far do the binds of unconditional love go?  I've never made peace or resolution within myself until I read a certain passage in, A Severe Mercy.  "Although I must live long years in time beyond Davy, somehow I felt certain that we should go on the the Eternal Majesty together, nor would she be conscious of delay" (Vanauken, 204).  It hit me, if one's true love dies we cannot ever love another because that unconditional love isn't dead and will be reunited in heaven after both people die on earth.  In A Severe Mercy, when he first tells Davy of her terminall illness, he says, "This--this illness-- is maybe going to mean our parting--for awhile."  Meaning,that they  will be reunited one day with one another because love doesn't end with their mortal death.  Therefore, you can never love another.  This means "the one" is all powerful, beyond the superficial construction of hollywood romances.  Once married, a couple becomes eternally one, under God.  


Next post will feature general relationship guidance from the book.

*Photos taken by Emily Patterson