Sunday Afternoon Philosophia

I've found a couple of interesting questions / concepts in my spiritual readings. In The Evangelical Universalist by Gregory MacDonald, a cool concept is charted in favor of Restoration. This diagram shows the much-used pattern in the Bible; the major theme being that there is a point of contentment, an event of a fall and the eventual rise out of disgrace. Much like the mythical Phoenix that rises out of the ashes and much like the idea of reincarnation, the Bible, too, demonstrates in the above stories, as well as the story of the Prodigal Son, etc. A second chance (Restoration) is the result of grace and forgiveness.

I think that's pretty neat.

The second concept I came across in The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis. A soul arrives in the afterlife and has an interesting conversation with his Spirit-Guide, who unsuccessfully attempts to get him to go to the mountains (Heaven). The following dialogue brings about the question: is Heaven customized to the individual's idea of Heaven?

Spirit Guide: Will you come with me to the mountains? It will hurt at first, until your feet are hardened. Reality is harsh to the feet of shadows. But will you come?

Soul: Well, that is a plan. I am perfectly ready to consider it. Of course, I should require some assurances...I should want a guarantee that you are taking me to a place where I shall find a wider sphere of usefulness - and scope for the talents that God has given me - an atmosphere of free inquiry --in short, all that one means by civilisation and - er- the spiritual life.

Spirit Guide: No, I can promise you none of these things. No sphere of usefulness: you are not needed there at all. No scope for your talents: only forgiveness for having perverted them. No atmosphere of inquiry, for I will bring you to the land not of questions, but of answers, and you shall see the face of God.

Soul: Ah, but we must all interpret those beautiful words in our own way! For me there is no such thing as a final answer. The free wind of inquiry must always continue to blow through the mind, must it not? 'Prove all things'... to travel hopefully is better than to arrive.