Here's the Question:

Heaven or Hell?

“This is, as I have said and believe, a book about Heaven, but I must say it has caused me to divide it into strands. For I have wondered sometimes if it would not finally turn out to be a book about Hell…”

Wendell Berry (Jayber Crow, p.354)

          This is how Wendell Berry describes Hell in his book, Jayber Crow: “where we fail to love one another, where we hate and destroy one another for reasons abundantly provided or for righteousness’ sake or for pleasure, where we destroy the things we need the most, where we see no hope and have no faith, where we are needy and alone, where things that ought to stay together fall apart, where there is such a groaning travail of selfishness in all its forms, where we love one another and die, where we must lose everything to know what we have had.” This book was published in 2000; exactly 20 years ago, prior to 9/11, and prior to the endless wars, the economic crashes, and the pandemic.

          Berry finishes his thoughts about Hell by asking two questions: “But the earth speaks to us of Heaven, or why would we want to go there? If we knew nothing of Hell, how would we delight in Heaven should we get there?” (p.354-355) Right now, in this green spring, the earth certainly does speak to us of heaven, and it is a beautiful place indeed. As you can see, you don’t have to die to get to either destination; they are right here among us all the time. All that is required of us is to open our eyes and see.

          I believe that we can come out of this pandemic different if we choose. We have an opportunity to witness first-hand just how fragile and defenseless we are. Even with every sort of weaponry, we are at the mercy of something we cannot see, and against which we have no reliable defenses. How ironic that a particle both invisible and silent could wreak such havoc with this massively armed human world—with hundreds of millions sickened, and more to come, and more than a million dead, over 60,000 here in America alone.

We can come out of this pandemic knowing what we have and how precious it is. We can come out of it transformed if we choose. We can lay down our useless weapons and do what needs to be done to protect ourselves and each other—a simple mask and clean hands. We can put selfishness aside; take stock of all the blessings we have and decide how we might share them. We can look around us at this beautiful and abundant spring and decide to take care of the world, its landscapes and its creatures. In other words, we can choose Heaven right now. How great would that be?

                                                            In the Spirit,

                                                            Jane