J
josh987654321
Guest
In C.S. Lewis’ fantasy ‘The Great Divorce’ he describes a bus load of people from hell who come to the outskirts of heaven. There they are urged to leave behind the sins that have trapped them in hell, but they refuse. Lewis’ depiction of those are striking, because in them we recognise the self delusion and self absorption that are “On the small scale” in our own addictions.
Hell begins with a grumbling mood, always complaining, always blaming others… but you are still distinct from it. You may even criticize yourself and wish you could stop it. But there may come a day when you can no longer. Then there will be no you left to criticize the mood or even enjoy it, but just the grumble itself, going on forever like a machine. It is not a question of God “sending us” to hell. In each of us there is something growing, which will BE HELL unless it is nipped in the bud. - C.S. Lewis
The people in hell are miserable and C.S. Lewis helps show us why. We se raging like unchecked flames their pride, their paranoia, their self-pity, their certainty that everyone else is wrong, that everyone else is and idiot! All their humility is gone, and thus so is their sanity. They are locked in a prison of their own self centeredness, and their pride progressively expands into a bigger and bigger mushroom cloud. They continue to go to pieces forever, blaming everyone but themselves. Hell is that, on a large scale.
This is why it’s a travesty to picture God throwing people into hell crying “I’m sorry! Let me out!” The people on the bus from hell would rather have their “freedom,” as they define it, instead of salvation. Ironically they fail to see their sins for what they are -
*“The very freedom which the sinner supposedly exercises in his self-indulgence is only another proof that he is ruled by the tyrant.” *
― Fulton J. Sheen, Life of Christ
In short, hell is simply one’s freely chosen identity apart from God on a trajectory into infinity. We see this process “On the small scale” in addictions to drugs, alcohol, gambling, and pornography. First, there is disintegration, because as time goes on you need more and more of the addictive substance to get a kick, which leads to less and less satisfaction.
Second, there is the isolation, as increasingly they blame others and circumstances in order to justify their behaviour. “No one understands, Everyone is against me!” is muttered in greater and greater self-pity and self-absorption. When we build our lives on anything but God, that thing, though a good, thing becomes an enslaving addiction, something we have to have to be happy.
Personal disintegration happens on a broader scale, in eternity, this disintegration goes on forever. There is increasing isolation, denial, delusion, and self-absorption. When we lose all humility we are out of touch with reality. No one ever asks to leave hell. The very idea of Heaven seems to them a sham.
The Truth Will Set You Free:
There are only two kinds of people, those who say “Thy will be done” to God or those to whom God says in the end “Alright, Thy will be done.” All that are in hell choose it. Without that self choice it wouldn’t be hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it.
I hope this has helped
God Bless
Thank you for reading
Josh
Hell begins with a grumbling mood, always complaining, always blaming others… but you are still distinct from it. You may even criticize yourself and wish you could stop it. But there may come a day when you can no longer. Then there will be no you left to criticize the mood or even enjoy it, but just the grumble itself, going on forever like a machine. It is not a question of God “sending us” to hell. In each of us there is something growing, which will BE HELL unless it is nipped in the bud. - C.S. Lewis
The people in hell are miserable and C.S. Lewis helps show us why. We se raging like unchecked flames their pride, their paranoia, their self-pity, their certainty that everyone else is wrong, that everyone else is and idiot! All their humility is gone, and thus so is their sanity. They are locked in a prison of their own self centeredness, and their pride progressively expands into a bigger and bigger mushroom cloud. They continue to go to pieces forever, blaming everyone but themselves. Hell is that, on a large scale.
This is why it’s a travesty to picture God throwing people into hell crying “I’m sorry! Let me out!” The people on the bus from hell would rather have their “freedom,” as they define it, instead of salvation. Ironically they fail to see their sins for what they are -
*“The very freedom which the sinner supposedly exercises in his self-indulgence is only another proof that he is ruled by the tyrant.” *
― Fulton J. Sheen, Life of Christ
In short, hell is simply one’s freely chosen identity apart from God on a trajectory into infinity. We see this process “On the small scale” in addictions to drugs, alcohol, gambling, and pornography. First, there is disintegration, because as time goes on you need more and more of the addictive substance to get a kick, which leads to less and less satisfaction.
Second, there is the isolation, as increasingly they blame others and circumstances in order to justify their behaviour. “No one understands, Everyone is against me!” is muttered in greater and greater self-pity and self-absorption. When we build our lives on anything but God, that thing, though a good, thing becomes an enslaving addiction, something we have to have to be happy.
Personal disintegration happens on a broader scale, in eternity, this disintegration goes on forever. There is increasing isolation, denial, delusion, and self-absorption. When we lose all humility we are out of touch with reality. No one ever asks to leave hell. The very idea of Heaven seems to them a sham.
The Truth Will Set You Free:
Their delusion is that if they glorified God, they would somehow lose power and freedom, but in a supreme and tragic irony, their choice has ruined their own potential for greatness. Hell is, as Lewis say’s “The greatest monument to human freedom.” As Romans 1:24 basically says “God gave them up to their own desires.” All God does in the end is give them what they most want, including freedom from himself. What could be more fair than that? Lewis writes -
There are only two kinds of people, those who say “Thy will be done” to God or those to whom God says in the end “Alright, Thy will be done.” All that are in hell choose it. Without that self choice it wouldn’t be hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it.
I hope this has helped
God Bless
Thank you for reading
Josh
