Tuesday 28 August 2007

How do you square heaven and hell with the complexity of people's lives?

Going though a provocative title spell. And a new look - something a bit brighter. Wish I could say it's my spring/summer collection, but no. Thanks guys for comments on the last post - all interesting. I agree there's no point actually getting too hung up on names and terms, that it's really your underlying attitude to others that matters. I agree Beat that there's clearly both a spectrum of belief out there and a spectrum of commitment to living out those beliefs. And Christianity is indeed, like all faiths, multi-faceted. However, there is surely some consensus - though that's not to deny the complexity - about the core of the faith: Christ's death to save us from sin, reconciliation with God, eternity in His presence etc. I still find resonance in CS Lewis's imaginative realisation of everybody being on a path leading ultimately either to heaven or hell. Says somewhere there are no ordinary people, because we're all ultimately immortal, each of us in the process of becoming - either a being you'd be tempted to worship (ie a citizen of heaven), or else something you wouldn't want to see in your worst nightmare (ie a denizen of hell). Sobering thought. But, Billy, I'd immediately stress this isn't meant to be scaremongering stuff - it's just Lewis being imaginatively frank about orthodox Christian belief in the ultimate polarity of direction and destination in people's lives. On that note I'd also be honest and say I have a fair bit of imaginative reflection of my own to do to reconcile this stark view with the complexity of real people's lives out there. But that's for another blog. Any thoughts welcome.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Dont worry Bruce, I dont believe in hell, but I think its an embarassment for the idea of a loving god (as is the OT :-) )

Billy