Hitchhiker's Rules for the Galaxy
And how God is at work, so kindly get out of the way
In the past, I’ve been suspicious of New Year’s Resolutions. To my Calvinistic ears, they’ve always sounded like the Gospel of Self-Improvement brought about by the power of will, rather than the gospel of Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Rules for Life
Even the most compelling, passionate and popular self-help book, like the ones by Jordan Peterson, still require will power. It’s all good fatherly advice that is lacking in our fatherless culture. That’s part of the appeal.
Follow Peterson’s rules and make small regular changes that slowly improve your own situation – by tidying your room, or not lying – and the odds are things will change for the better.
But can you keep it up? And what do you do when suffering comes? Will your will power carry you through? Chirpy, chin-up, always-look-on-the-bright-side-of-life British stoicism simply doesn’t work for most people. The reason the song sung by Eric Idle’s thief on the cross as Brian is crucified in the Life of Brian is funny is because it so absurd.
So Long, And Thanks For All The Fish
I think this is why I’ve never fully warmed to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. As a comedy writer, I’m in awe of its breath-taking inventiveness and imaginatively philosophical absurdities. But that’s the message of the books from self-proclaimed radical atheist, Douglas Adams. Life is absurd.
We ache for meaning – and yet the randomness of the universe keeps slapping us in the face with a fish for believing there can be meaning or purpose. Arthur Dent, the everyman hero of Adams’ four-part trilogy, is constantly appalled by the lack of order, sense and coherence in the universe. He makes it all the way to the Restaurant at the End of the Universe, but has somehow made no philosophical progress at all. And the answer to everything, 42, bears no relation to the question.
Back to Jordan
Jordan Peterson may or may not be a Christian. He seems to be inching towards Christ in a manner reminiscent of Zeno’s paradox, forever halving the distance but never quite making it. But that’s where the message of the Reformation comes in. We are brought near to God through faith – which is in itself a transformative gift from God. And it is this gift, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that makes change not just possible but inevitable.
An early collaborator with Douglas Adams is comedy writer and producer, John Lloyd. I spoke to him for the Sitcom Geeks podcast (and he clearly feels bruised by the end of this partnership with Adams). His quest for meaning hasn’t brought him into the Church, but one of his firm convictions is the idea of ‘Absenteeism’. It means essentially this: get out of the way.
This is, perhaps, a good way of thinking about the Christian quest for holiness since God is at work in the heart of the believer. That is what Paul prays for the Christians in Colossae:
... that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. (Colossians 1:9b-10)
God is at work in your heart. For heaven’s sake, get out of the way.
One way might be not to be so dogmatic about not making New Years Resolutions. If you want to know what one thing I resolved for 2022, have look over here.
Come and Say Hello
You could ask me how my New Year’s resolution is going in person in Cambridge on Saturday 29th January, when I’ll be performing my one-man stand-up theology show, Water into Wine. Do book come along and you’ll be able to buy a copy of The Gospel According to a Sitcom Writer from me in person.
That Hideous Book Group
One book I read twice in 2021 is the third book in the Ransom Trilogy by CS Lewis: That Hideous Strength. I’ve mentioned the book on this Substack before. It’s truly brilliant, prescient and pleasing. I plan to hold an online book group about this book on at 8.30pm UK Time on Friday 4th February which will be open to Patreon supporters of the Cooper and Cary Have Words podcast. Do consider signing up and being part of that.