I meet with a couple guys every other Tuesday morning at 6am to discuss a book. We call it “Dead Authors,” because we only choose to read authors who are no longer living. (duh) Currently, we’re in a C.S. Lewis kick, and we started The Great Divorce this morning. If you’re not familiar with The Great Divorce, it’s a theological fantasy, much like The Screwtape Letters, or The Shack. In this story, a man finds himself in a “grey town” which we eventually find out is Lewis’ description of hell. (I’ll save that for a later day.)
Anyway, Lewis goes on to describe the interaction between a “ghost” (someone from the grey town) and one of the “bright people” (someone from the mountains of light). In this conversation (chapter IV), the “ghost” doesn’t want to enter into the “high places,” because he wants to get his “rights,” because in life he was a good, religious man and therefore deserves to be in the “high places,” and not stuck in the “grey town.” Furthermore, he knew this “bright person” in life, and in life he was a murderer, and it just doesn’t seem fair. In the end, he chooses to go back to the “grey town,” rather than coexist with the murderer.
I think Lewis’ point is that there is always a temptation to make God what we want God to be. In other words, we cast God in our image, so our enemies are God’s enemies, our opinions are God’s, our personality is God’s, etc. But, God is calling us to the “high country,” where we are continually called to lay down our agenda, our way of seeing things, and exchange those things for following Jesus. And while this seems so easy to say, it takes a lifetime to do, and I often find myself digging in my heals, choosing the grey town.
It reminds me of this old song by this Christian singer, Wayne Watson. And while this style of music is definitely not my preferred style, 15 years ago, I used to listen to this song on almost every Sunday morning, getting ready for church. Here are some of the lyrics:
Would I know You now if You walked into the room
If you stilled the crowd–If You light dispelled the gloom
And if I saw Your wounds–Touched Your thorn pierced brow
I wonder if I’d know You now
Would I know You now if You walked into this place
Would I cause You shame–Would my games be Your disgrace
Or would I worship You–Fall down upon my face
I wonder if I’d know You now
Or have the images I’ve painted
So distorted who You are
That even if the world was looking
They could not see You–The real You
Have I changed the true reflection
To fulfill my own design
Making You what I want
Not showing You forth divine
Would I miss You now if You left and closed the door
Would my flesh cry out “I don’t need You anymore”
Or would I follow You–Seek to be restored
I wonder–I wonder
Will I ever learn
I wonder–Would I ever know You now
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I don’t get it. The analogy gives us a choice between living in grey town, hell, or living in heaven. Heaven is by invite only, and we don’t control who’s on the invite list. And we know certain people that are invited that we don’t like, so we choose not to go. Makes sense to me.
But the only option is gray town? Hell? His analogy says that we should just be grateful to get invited, since our only other option is Hell. Oh that would be a great marketing slogan for Heaven; “Heaven… Yeah we’ve got child molesters, but at least it’s not Hell.”
This is old school fear mongering: be good (which I think “follow Jesus” means), or burn in hell. Follow Jesus, get reward.
We don’t get much control over where we go when we die. Good or bad, we all end up in the ground.
Ron (huh?)
Anyway…
In trying to synopsize, It appears I’ve erred in clarity.
I haven’t finished this book again, and it’s been years since I first read it. But, if I remember correctly, Lewis’s point is exactly the opposite: everyone is invited “further up and higher in” (terminology from another Lewis book), and yet some – for a myriad of reasons – choose “grey town.”
My point in this post was along those lines… that I wonder if there are people – specifically religious people – full of their own goodness – convinced of their own righteousness – who would rather “opt out” of the “high places” because – gasp! – there are murderers there! That forgiveness (the invitation, if you will), extends to all that God is near as judgmental and mean and vengeful as they were hoping he would be – which is scandalous to their religious pride.
As always – I appreciate your thoughts!
You didn’t just place The Screwtape Letters & The Shack in the same category of fiction, DIDOUUO?!!?
(correction) . . .DID YOU?!!?
@Ron – Ron,
I think this story is actually countering the “be good or burn in hell” line of thinking. The man in grey town HAD lived a good, religiously appropriate life. For some reason (which isn’t included in Charlie’s synopsis, but I would assume is in the book) this man ended up in grey town anyway. He had “been good” but still ended up in grey town.
I could be wrong, but it seems to me that this aspect of the book is speaking against arrogant religiosity by making the point that a contrite murderer made it in to heaven while a holier-than-thou type didn’t.
Also, we DO get to choose where we go when we die. We can be buried, we can be cremated, we can (if we have the money) have our bodies frozen and preserved. Lots of options;)
@Charlie
Wayne Watson, huh? My aunt used to listen to him. You must be pretty old…
@Zach – yes. I’m old.