Blind

I mentioned in an earlier post that Tim and I have been reading the Great Divorce... we have made it to chapter 5, (yes, we missed a couple of nights due to commitments). The bus has stopped and we are now on the outskirts of heaven, spirits have come, beautiful spirits, and Joe (again, correct me here if you know his name) finds that the people, including him that came from hell (although I am not sure that some of them realize where they have been) are all ghostly people, a former shadow of who they were, who they were meant to be. These spirits, they are full, strong, beautiful, as if they have finally become who they were created to be.

Joe it seems is no longer having conversations with the ghosts, but now seems to be merely be an interloper on other people's conversations. It's an interesting way of writing, and of reading... To be a voyeur of sorts. Anyway, he just listened to a conversation with a 'ghost' who is religious and a 'spirit' who knew him years before. The spirit was trying to get him to come to the mountains (where I presume heaven is to be) but the 'religious' ghost is too concerned on whether or not he will be useful there, when in hell he could be useful, they are having great debates on whether or not Jesus would have changed his views, been less the socialist etc. if he had lived longer, matured, and not been crucified when he was. This ghost, felt he should finish his paper, that he was needed. The spirit tried in vain to get him to come with him, to give up being needed but to have all your needs fulfilled, to give up the grey towns of hell to live in the full glory of heaven, to see the face of God and have all the answers he ever had questions for... but the ghost, sadly, decides that there is no way you can have all the answers, that there will always be searching, always be new questions and inquiry. He gets back on the bus.

I found this particular ghost an interesting ghost... he spent his life on earth being highly religious. He was in fact a Bishop on earth, he searched for the theological answers, hunting for the truth and here he is fresh off the bus from hell, not even aware that that is where he was... this poor man, who counts himself one of knowledge and insight is totally unaware, blind. It makes me question my 'knowledge' or my 'insights',  it makes me realize that I need to look outside of myself for the truth, only then will I find some answers.