Introduction: The Tension of Christian Living
Jane Austen remains one of the most cherished writers of the British canon. Although many describe her literary work as romance, her novels also offer insightful and often scathing critiques of her own society. Sense and Sensibility is her first novel, and she not only tells an intriguing story but also lays the foundation of her many successive novels. Austen’s father was an Anglican rector, and religious references can be found throughout her works. As we travel down the well-worn roads of this classic novel, we will delve into the spiritual implications of Austen’s beloved novel by examining her complex and treasured characters.
“Know your own happiness. Want for nothing but patience—or give it a more fascinating name, call it hope.” —Sense and Sensibility
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” —Hebrews 11:1
At the heart of both the play and the novel Sense and Sensibility lie the two sisters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. Elinor is the personification of sense, while Marianne personifies sensibility. These two young ladies represent the tension that exists between reason and emotion. Elinor, on the one hand, lives stoically by her reason, never allowing emotion to surface. Marianne lives only by caprice and whimsy, allowing her emotions to rule unchecked. These extremes almost end in catastrophe. Both young ladies place their hope in things that are not meant to hold one’s hope.
Christians are often guilty of these same extremes. Some Christians place all their hope in holding the right doctrines focused on intellectual assent. Other Christians hold to the experience of God in emotional context. Like Elinor and Marianne, Christians can place their hopes in one of two extremes. Doctrine is important. Experiencing the presence of God is important. They deserve to live in balance with one another and, above all, in submission to faith in Jesus Christ.
The synoptic gospel writers of Matthew, Mark, and Luke point to the arrival of God’s Kingdom through the ministry of Jesus. In fact, the first words that Jesus speaks in Mark’s account center on the Kingdom of God: “Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel’” (Mark 1:14-15). Jesus inaugurates the Kingdom of God and finishes the work of salvation by suffering, dying, and rising again from the dead. We can live in full assurance that we have received God’s forgiveness and have been adopted into God’s family, yet we still live in a broken world marred by our sin and the sin of others. The Kingdom has come but not yet in fullness. Only with the second coming of Jesus will the consummation of the Kingdom come. The good news is that not only will we experience the fullness of God’s presence once again, but all of creation will be renewed as well.
There is tension in Christian living today. We feel the pull of sanctification, and yet we also still struggle with sin. We might place our hope in the right doctrine or the right experience, but may the Lord grant us wisdom to live in obedience to Him until the Kingdom comes in fullness. When He returns, may He find us holding tightly to faith in Him (Luke 18:8).
