In The Great Divorce those who are in hell not only get a day pass to heaven, but they can also choose to stay. C.S. Lewis provides several character snapshots of different attitudes which ultimately lead the “ghosts” to reject heaven. Now I realize that this story is nothing more than another fictional supposition from the marvelous mind of Lewis, but seriously can we choose whether we end up in heaven or in hell?
As I was growing up, I was taught that “all you have to do to be saved is admit you are a sinner and accept Jesus into your heart.” Granted, I come from a church that is decidedly for free will, but it’s something that has confuzzled me since taking my theology class last semester. Having this freedom to accept or reject God seems to take power away from God and put it in our hands, rather than relying on nothing more than God’s grace. And according to Lewis it’s not just a one-time decision, but a series of choices which either bring you to God or distance you from Him: “To any that leaves it [the grey town] it is Purgatory…but to those who remain there they will have been Hell even from the beginning.” Certainly the ghosts depicted in The Great Divorce choose whether or not to stay.
Now that I am older I am beginning to understand that it is so much more than one day saying to God, “I’m sorry.” It’s a continual journey of sanctification and submitting to God, so Lewis’ portrayal resonates with my experience…and yet I wonder is it egotistical, wanting to give myself the power to choose?
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