Rapture Marketing: CS Lewis And The World’s End
CS Lewis wrote about the futility of attempting to predict the future. May 21st was THE DAY. At least, that’s what another “prophet” has told us. I am typing and still here, so be patient. It may be worth a good read on your part. However, read quickly, just in case.
Omniscience In Business and Marketing
Those who claim omniscience in business, economics, and theological matters concern me. The more I know, the more I realize just how much I don’t know. Thus, the best approach is to error on the side of wisdom, common sense, and logic. Gloom and doom is often not the best approach. We don’t know the future. Only God does, thus focus on a wise operation of the present world. CS Lewis gave us some great advice.
I’m a BIG CS Lewis fan. His writings have had a profound impact on my life and faith. His mind is a steel machine that few could debate and win. Allow me to quote him on his essay, entitled, “Predictions of the Second Coming.”
“Many people find it difficult to believe in this great event without trying to guess its date, or even without accepting as a certainty the date that any quack or hysteric offers them. To write a history of all these exploded predictions would need a book, and a sad, sordid, tragi-comical book it would be…Clearly no one wishes to say anything that will awaken such mass hysteria. We must never speak to simple, excitable people about ‘the Day’ without emphasizing again and again the utter impossibility of prediction. We must try to show them that impossibility is an essential part of the doctrine. If you do not believe Our Lord’s words, why do you believe in His return at all? And if you do believe them must you not put away from, utterly and forever, any hope of dating that return? His teaching on the subject quite clearly consisted of three propositions: (1) That He will certainly return; (2) That we cannot possible find out when; (3) And that therefore we must always be ready for Him.”
So in both eschatology and economics, beware of “recovery” and doom. Balance. Common sense. Patience. Reality. Make your action-oriented marketing work today. Sufficient unto the day is the marketing thereof.
And, if you can write copy as clear as CS Lewis, you are well ahead of the game. Note his style. Few can match his manner of words. In fact, most of his writing was first draft. Very humbling and quite remarkable.
Your comments are welcome.
Stuart Atkins
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