5.03.2007

hell

c. s. lewis writes that hell is locked from the inside. the very essence of hell, according to lewis, is that you get your own way, you are left alone by god, to be alone. i think there is a lot to that.

maybe hell is not so much about god punishing us for what we have done, but more about allowing us to live with our choice. or i suppose, to die with our choice. when a person chooses against god and chooses against his eternal life, that person is choosing solitude, but when a person chooses eternal life, he is choosing community, relationship.

now it is certainly possible to choose relationship from a selfish standpoint, but i just wonder if that is even true relationship. is it possible to continue to progress in a relationship if it does not continually become more about the other person and less about ourselves?

i realize that according to some this may be venturing into the arena of heresy, but those people probably dont read this. i think it is very possible that hell should not be viewed a punitive in nature, but as the necessary option for those that do not wish to die to themselves, those who do not wish to choose relationship over self.

2 comments:

Robin said...

That was a "hell" of a post! Seriously though, being alone would be my personal hell. I can't think of anything worse than solitary confinement.

Unknown said...

ok great post, but robin's comment almost made me pee my pants.