Making Connections

There is so much going on in The Great Divorce that I don't know where to begin! One thing that I really noticed was the emphasis on the different kinds of love--specifically Need Love. We see examples of extreme need love through out THe Great Divorce, but we also see it in Orual and Psyche. Some of the relationships in this "Spirit and Ghost" world were definitely shown as Need Love gone really wrong! Pam and her obsession with her son, Michael, is a great example. All this woman could think about was her son, and "caring" for her son. And, if she couldn't have him in heaven, then she'd take him back to hell with her. This need love was so corrupted by her unwillingness to love anyone else. Again this is seen with the Woman who needed her Robert, so she could control him. She needed someone to do things to. Her need love was corrupted, like Pam's, because she could love nothing but the desire to need him.

I feel like sometimes we are like this as Christians. We start idolizing, needing, desiring things that will not fulfill us. They could make us "happy" for fleeting moments, but they will not bring us joy. Our love for these things, or even other people becomes so corrupt that we forget about the Gift Love God has given us. The spirit said all the women had to do was want something else in addition to "loving" their person, but the women saw this as an attack on their loved one. They refused. I feel like we do this alot. (Note the We implicative of me inclusive!) We feel attacked when someone is confronting us about a change we should make to improve our lives, to love God more. Instead we potentially shut them out and harden our hearts, and we reject God's gift love of Grace. While Lewis and I don't always have similar opinions, we do know that we need God's Grace--and I think that is a point Lewis makes very clear in the Great Divorce.