The Great Divorce

Reflections on The Great Divorce

There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, "Thy will be done."  All that are in Hell, choose it.  Without that self-choice there could be no Hell.  No soul that seriously and consistently desires joy will ever miss it.  Those who seek find.  To those who knock it is opened.

From chapter 9 of The Great Divorce

The Great Divorce is C.S. Lewis's surreal, fantastical story about the hereafter.  Join me as we consider what lessons this story can teach us about the here and now.

1. Irreconcilable Differences - William Blake might have performed a marriage ceremony for Heaven and Hell, but C.S. Lewis drew up the divorce papers.
2. Hell Is (Not) Other People - Philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre once famously suggested that "Hell is other people."  In The Great Divorce, C.S. Lewis seems to suggest the opposite.
3. The Light Exposes the Darkness - It is not uncommon for people to be afraid of the dark.  Is it possible that a fear of the light might actually be even more common?
4. Not for the Faint of Heart - So often we think of Heaven as a place of endless bliss.  What if Heaven is actually something that's not for the faint of heart?  What if it's even scary at first?
5. The Danger of Entitlement - Imagine going to Heaven only to be met by the person you hated the most in life.  What would you do?
6. From the Head to the Heart - A lack of critical thinking is, I think, a problem for many Christians.  That said, is it possible to err in the other direction?
7. What Good Is a Golden Apple? - Why do we value the things we value?  What really matters in life?
8. Swamp Water for the Soul - Negativity and Cynicism are not good for us.  In fact, I'd say that they're downright toxic.
9. Drinking Our Shame - One thing that can get between us and all God wants for us is the fear we will be judged by others as unworthy of it - in other words, shame.
10. Trial by Fire - Perhaps we will all go through a trial by fire at some point.  The results will depend on the stuff that makes us up.
11. Not a Project - What could a single man like me possibly know about marriage, you ask?  I know that I don't want to be in one in which I am a "project."
12. The Only Good Lizard (Is a Dead and Resurrected Lizard) - Perhaps some things will never reach their greatest potential until they die and are resurrected.
13. St. Sarah of Golders Green - What makes a person famous on Earth?  What might make a person famous in Heaven?
14. A Crack in the Dirt - It has been said that a great chasm separates Heaven from Hell.  Where is this great chasm?  Could it be something we create?
15. This Moment - How do the decisions we make today affect the decisions we make tomorrow?