The writer, in a dream, boards a bus on a drizzly afternoon and embarks on an incredible voyage through Heaven and Hell. In this scene from The Great Divorce, one person in heaven tries to convince his friend not to return to the bus, but instead to stay in heaven.
‘Well, that is a plan. I am perfectly ready to consider it. Of course I should require some assurances... I should want a guarantee that you are taking me to a place where I shall find a wider sphere of usefulness—and scope for the talents that God has given me—and an atmosphere of free inquiry—in short, all that one means by civilisation and—er—the spiritual life.’
‘No,’ said the other. ‘I can promise you none of these things. No sphere of usefulness: you are not needed there at all. No scope for your talents: only forgiveness for having perverted them. No atmosphere of inquiry, for I will bring you to the land not of questions but of answers, and you shall see the face of God.’
‘Ah, but we must all interpret those beautiful words in our own way! For me there is no such thing as a final answer. The free wind of inquiry must always continue to blow through the mind, must it not? “Prove all things”… to travel hopefully is better than to arrive.’
‘If that were true, and known to be true, how could anyone travel hopefully? There would be nothing to hope for.’
C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce (1946, Harper Collins edition 2001) 39-40.
I have never read this book, sounds interesting. It would be nice if we had the answers before we asked the question? Lewis mentions that we must interpret those beautiful words in our own way! Isn't that why things are so watered down today? How can we "prove all things"? I guess I have more questions than answers.
ReplyDeleteIt is a fascinating book, Gary. I highly recommend it. But it is just a dream and just a way of thinking about things -- not strict teaching per say.
ReplyDeleteI know these excerpts can sometimes be hard to follow, I do try to chose them carefully. As I said, this was one friend trying to convince his friend to stay in heaven rather than returning to the bus. He says, "I will bring you to the land not of questions but of answers, and you shall see the face of God." But his friend (who is bound for hell) says, "Ah, but we must all interpret those beautiful words in our own way!" So, Gary, you may be right to say that this is why things are so watered down today, yes. But please do not say that Lewis says that we must interpret those beautiful words in our own way! Lewis himself says no such thing. Lewis puts that quote in the mouth of a man bound for hell -- not reliable info!
The book is better than the blog excerpts ;)