The Argument from Dissatisfaction

I recently helped a friend, who had a family emergency, by teaching some of his classes on apologetics. One of the themes was how we know God exists. Of all the arguments for God’s existence, the one which most emotionally satisfies, is that formulated by C. S. Lewis: the argument from desire.

According to Lewis, alone of all creatures, humans experience deep, existential, longings which cannot be met. Often these may be dismissed by the agnostic; but Lewis saw these as significant. For example, the presence of hunger indicates that there is something which can meet that hunger; i.e. we were made to eat.

That doesn’t mean there is actually something edible in my immediate environment. After all, I may be experiencing famine, or a mirage. But there nevertheless exists something, somewhere, which would meet that need. For Lewis, therefore, our experience of deep desire suggests there is an object commensurate with that yearning.

Strangely, for Christians encouraged to be content whatever the circumstances, this argument from desire, is actually also an argument from dissatisfaction. Unhappiness is a drive to become happy. Discontent a push towards discovering contentment. As evangelists, therefore, we should welcome unhappiness, as a pointer towards God, the ultimate satisfier of our souls, the deepest part of us.

This should affect our prayer life, and the way we minister to people. Naturally, we want people to avoid suffering, and be happy. But is this what we should be praying for in them? Not that we wish pain on them, but is not the destruction of all our idols a necessary stage in anyone’s journey of, and toward, faith?

Paradoxically, however, the same journey applies after we become Christians as well. That is, even when we know God, there is still so much learn about him, and unlearn about our own sinful behaviours. We may become a Christian, in an instant, in the event of conversion; but we then enter into a process, of sanctification.

Hence the Christian life itself is also an experience of dissatisfaction, as we reach out for the final clothing of ourselves with immortality. We long, for more, of what we have already found. We are still incomplete, waiting for our eventual complete transformation. Being regenerate, the process has already begun, but every present experience of it is merely a foretaste, an anticipation, of that greater joy.

Dissatisfaction is therefore an essential element in the spiritual life. This might be personal, or political. Personally, while we must not equate this with, for example, clinical depression, our feelings of inadequacy, failure, or weakness, even as believers, are meant to spur us on to the ultimate goal. Similarly with social or political distress and unrest.

I am always encouraged when I see street demonstrations because it’s a small sign of protest, against an unjust world. Likewise, I welcome the interest in alternative spiritualities, not because I agree, but because it’s another sign, that dissatisfaction with this world, is leading people into a search for another one.