Tag Archives: Heaven

Flashes of Heavenly Light

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Pentecost 19 (Luke 16:19-31)  09/29/2013

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Abraham said to the rich man, “Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.” (Luke 16:26) There are many, many images of heaven in the Bible; some images are glorious, open and expansive, while other images are rather foreboding and exclusive. This morning’s story of Lazarus’ place in heaven and the rich man’s tormented existence in Hades is of the foreboding and exclusive variety. We have a difficult time trying to state with great certainty what any place is truly like when that place remains so elusive, just beyond our earthly grasp. If we desire to know the secrets of the heavenly dwelling place of God, the many and seemingly contrasting images from the Bible do not help us create the one true image we seek. These images may be fruitful inspiration for the artists and authors throughout the centuries who have brought their talents to the fertile ground of capturing the secrets of heaven in their many forms of art and literature. But what about the rest of us? What about our practical daily existence as we live our days with the doors of heaven just beyond our sight? Roger Ferlo, an Episcopal Priest and author, recently edited a collection of thoughtful essays on this very subject in a book appropriately titled, Heaven. In the introduction of his book, Ferlo suggests an earthly method of searching for the mysteries of heaven: “Only by considering closely the things of this world can we have any clue about the things of the next. This is an ancient insight, what the medieval theologians called the analogy of being. It is the conviction that in the [very being] of God’s creation we discern, if only by analogy or metaphor or indirection, a glimpse of the divine beauty and the divine splendor, what the poet T.S. Eliot called ‘a wink of heaven.'”[i] Ferlo’s suggestion is that in the very world in which we live, there are flashes of heavenly light, undeniable moments of God’s grace breaking in to our world. These moments are there for our inspiration and understanding, unless we choose to look the other way. And this brings us back to the rich man and Lazarus. Continue reading →

“And so it ends, but do we all go to Heaven? C.S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce”

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Lewis Great DivorceThe Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis; chapters 12-14

These few chapters conclude the fantastical tale of Heaven and Hell by C.S. Lewis. Chapter 12 begins with the introduction of a dazzling woman whose goodness and light spreads out like the widening ripples of a wave. We learn that the woman would have been barely noticed on earth but her goodness was so wonderful that she is sparkling in Heaven, where all inner goodness shines for all to see. She meets her departed husband, a man who is a ghostly image of a man, a man still clinging to his pride and self-righteousness. The dazzling woman asks the man for his forgiveness for any wrongs she may have committed and invites him to do the same, leading him toward the ultimate understanding of self-emptying love. His love, however, has conditions, stories, and excuses connected to it. As much as he might want to let go, he cannot bring himself to the full understanding of love.

Chapter 13 continues the story of the dazzling woman and the ghostly man, leading the reader on a journey that brings us to an important question: can those in Heaven truly be happy and filled with joy knowing that others remain in the torments of Hell? The narrator of the story cannot bear to think that true joy can be savored while aware of the plight of the damned. The heaviness of this thought brings our narrator to think that only when everyone is within Heaven’s gate can true joy be had…but our narrator’s heavenly guide says, “not so fast!” In one of Lewis’ most provocative thoughts of his tale, Lewis offers the following proposition: “What some people say on Earth is that the final loss of one soul gives the lie to all the joy of those who are saved,” and his guide responds, “Ye see it does not.” (p. 135) The heavenly guide continues to explain why not, “The demand of the loveless and the self-imprisoned that they should be allowed to blackmail the universe: that till they consent to be happy (on their own terms) no one else shall taste joy: that theirs should be the final power; that Hell should be able to veto Heaven.” (p. 135) In the concluding lines of the chapter Lewis’ makes it plain that Heaven shall not wait on those pride-filled and stubborn ones who refuse to let go of their own designs…God is the One true source of love and light and Heaven will move on without them, should they choose to absent themselves from God’s abundant love.

The final chapter tells us that the narrator was simply having a vivid dream; a dream of the heavenly places and choices that are set before us all, but a dream nonetheless. And as with any dream, some bits of the story remain quite vivid and real, other bits appear to slowly disappear into the fog, but the entire story lingers and brings us into conversation with questions that seem to hold some universal truth.

“Was Milton right about free will: the choice of every lost soul – ‘better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven’ – C.S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce”

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C.S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce – chapters 8 – 11

Lewis’ tale of fantasy continues with more characters and many, many more questions for us to consider. Throughout these chapters Lewis takes up the important questions of free will (can the ghostly people actually stay in the land of Bright Spirits or must they return to the bus); is God full of love for everyone (or are the ghostly people condemned to return to the bus and their brief trip is a vehicle of torment); and how can one gather courage to walk in to the land of brightness (the journey appears to be impossible). And many more questions that continue to bubble up through and between the lines of Lewis’ wonderful story. Continue reading →

“The humbling challenges of approaching God – ‘Thinking of going back?’: C.S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce”

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The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis; chapters 4-7.

Previous chapters of Lewis’ tale have successfully brought us to a fantastical world of bright spirits and unimaginable beauty, but now the shadowy figures of the dimly lit Town must leave the bus and find their way in to this strange and wonderful new world…easier said than done. We meet different ghostly characters in each successive chapter, each with their own restrictions and flaws that serve as boundaries to the bright land beyond the bus. Continue reading →

“Leaving the empty comfort of Self: C.S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce”

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The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis; chapters 1-3

C.S. Lewis’ story of fantasy in The Great Divorce is a rich and twisted tale of leaving the dismal yet comforting world of self in an effort to trust others, and especially trust God, and take the necessary changes to break-out from one’s world of self and enter the love of God. The tale is a story of Good and Evil; a tale of Heaven and Hell, but a believable tale where the greatest evil is wrapped in apathy and selfishness, which makes the story all the more believable…and therefore frightening.

In the Preface of his book, Lewis sets the stage for the journey that will be told in his story; a journey of striving toward God’s glory, the holy “working out” of one’s salvation. For those who have sought the Reign of God and have finally come to know the glory of God at their journey’s end, of them Lewis writes, “in that sense it will be true for those who have completed the journey (and for no others) to say that good is everything and Heaven everywhere. But we, at this end of the road, must not try to anticipate that retrospective vision. If we do, we are likely to embrace the false and disastrous converse and fancy that everything is good and everywhere is Heaven.” (preface, pg. IX) Lewis’ insight and warning to those of us still making our earthly journey is an important and humbling message that needs to be heard now more than ever.

Chapters 1 and 2 are devoted to descriptions of a dingy town that we will learn little about, other than it is a dismally comforting place; a place where anyone’s bleak expectations can be fulfilled with merely a wish. The story’s action quickly centers around the bus station as the dingy town’s inhabitants wait for a magical bus. The line is quite long, but tension and disagreement among the group quickly thin the line to just half the bus’ capacity. The bus’ arrival to the bright and strange new land beyond reveals the true images of the travelers aboard the bus…and the revelations are unsettling!

Chapter 3 provides an introduction to the new land beyond the dingy town and we soon understand that this must be Heaven. Everything is quite different and nothing can compare to the dingy town, but the differences can become overwhelming and we watch as many of the travelers retreat to the safety of the bus. For those brave enough to press forward, they huddle together as the people of this land approach. They are people who can only be described as those filled with a great light whose appearance was very grand and seemingly ageless. “One gets glimpses…of that which is ageless – heavy thought in the face of an infant, and frolic childhood in that of a very old man.” The wisdom, joy and light of those things eternal and close to God fill this place beyond the dingy town with wonders that Lewis will explore in the remainder of his tale.

“‘Evil can be undone, but it cannot develop into good.’ C.S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce”

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The Great Divorce, by C.S. Lewis

Over the course of the next few weeks, C.S. Lewis’ classic book will be examined in preparation for a book review at the end of October. The subject of Good vs. Evil, Heaven vs. Hell, is a subject that can fill bookshelves and yet defy an overwhelming conclusion. Like Lewis himself, we will through caution to the wind and jump in to the deep-end of this subject, using his journey through both Heaven and Hell as our guide.

Lewis describes his intention for The Great Divorce in its Preface, stating that his work will bring the reader on a journey that is quite intentionally a fantasy, but a fantasy with a moral. Lewis clearly presents his case that good and evil are available to all; and with evil seemingly lurking around the next corner the choice for the good is an intention that requires personal attention and faithful (and courageous) practice. I am reminded of the Apostle Paul’s words of encouragement to the Philippians, “work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Phil 2:12b-13) We are not alone, for “it is God who is at work in you” but we are not passively waiting for some external improvement…no reclining back like we are at the dentist’s office waiting for the pearly white crown to be placed over the ugliness of what lies beneath; this is the real road of discipleship.

Lewis makes us want to pursue that road by ensuring that the wisdom of the journey will bring us into God’s presence. He writes that for those who have sought the Reign of God and have finally come to know the glory of God at the journey’s end, their wisdom can be only known from the journey’s far end: “In that sense it will be true for those who have completed the journey (and for no others) to say that good is everything and Heaven everywhere. But we, at this end of the road, must not try to anticipate that retrospective vision. If we do, we are likely to embrace the false and disastrous converse and fancy that everything is good and everywhere is Heaven.” (Preface, pg. IX)

And so our journey with C.S. Lewis through both Heaven and Hell begins and his insights of good vs. evil through his story of fantasy promises to enlighten us in the days ahead. As Paul prayed for the Philippians, so we pray, “that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.” (Phil 1:9-11)