CS Lewis in his book, "The Great Divorce" wrestles with the reality of heaven and hell. As we notice in the Letter of St Peter Christ dies to save people from prison. The text can be read in many ways but it refers explicitly to Spirits. The commentators offer many plausible explanations of this scripture that can refer to the condemnation of the fallen angels, those who refused to go into the Ark and then repented, or whether it is simply those who have died before the resurrection who are to be freed from the reality of hell or alienation from God.
CS Lewis uses the image of waiting at a bus stop in a drab place known as Grey Town waiting for a bus to take them to their final destination. When on the bus they are brought to a cliff that overlooks a beautiful valley with majestic mountains in the distance. When they get off the bus they notice that the grass is not moving and feels sharp and painful to walk on and people are torn between returning to Grey Town or crossing the river.
As they experience this reality there is a biting spirit that can cause doubt, confusion, anxiety, and torment that God can actually offer eternal life and love. The Paradox is that some people prefer to be miserable rather than humble and grow attached to the things of life: their own personal property or talent, their own ability to have influence over others, or simply an attachment to grief or the by-products of sin that seem more real than God.
God desires for us to be free and not shackled to a reality of our own creation that is not real. This is where we notice Jesus entering the desert to confront the temptations that we all wrestle with. He does not want us to be blackmailed by evil spirits into believing we are beyond redemption. God reaches out to us this Lent to not doubt the Covenant that he does not seek our destruction but our liberation. This promise is born out whenever we see the rainbow in the sky. We are called to be people of faith, hope, and love who seek the Kingdom of God.
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