C.S. Lewis’s “Ancient and Simple Truths” Letter (May 8, 1939)

On May 8, 1939, Oxford don C.S. Lewis wrote to his longtime friend Arthur Greeves that living is “coming to realize truths so ancient and simple” they can sound like platitudes. The remark came at a tense moment: Europe was moving toward war, and Lewis—only a few years after his return to Christian faith—was learning that spiritual maturity often looks unimpressive. Growth is frequently a return, not a discovery: the same “basic” commands, heard again, finally obeyed.

Lewis’s setting mattered. Oxford, with its lectures, debates, and high intellectual tempo, could reward novelty and cleverness. Yet the approaching conflict reminded many that life is not finally held together by brilliance, but by faithfulness. Lewis’s letter points to a kind of courage that does not seek dramatic stories for the self, but accepts the daily disciplines God uses to reshape a person—confession, forgiveness, prayer, and love practiced when it is inconvenient.

Arthur Greeves and the Friendship of Perseverance

Arthur Greeves, Lewis’s Irish friend from youth, received years of candid correspondence. Their friendship itself illustrates “ancient and simple” virtue: loyalty, honesty, patience, and the willingness to keep walking with another soul through uncertainty. Such steadiness is easily overlooked, yet it is one of the ordinary ways God trains the heart in charity.

Quiet Heroism on the Eve of War

With the shadow of war lengthening, heroism could be imagined as public valor alone. Lewis’s counsel presses another kind: submitting to the steady work of grace when no one applauds. Scripture regularly commends this plain faithfulness: “He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8). And in the slow re-learning of love: “Love is patient, love is kind… it keeps no account of wrongs” (1 Corinthians 13:4–5).

Repentance, Forgiveness, Prayer, Neighbor-Love

The Christian life advances by revisiting basics until they move from slogans to obedience. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). These “plain” truths—received again and again—are often where God most deeply remakes us.