Chapter five revealed much more about this mysterious fantasy novel. Our character overhears another conversation between one of "the Bright People" and a "ghost." The "Bright" being informs this "Ghost" that he's been in Hell, it seems. Apparently the "Ghost" is here because he has become apostate. He thinks the charge is ludicrous, and tries to justify his position. It is apparent from the conversation that this Ghost guy loves intellect and arguing and telling others what he knows. His counterpart in this conversation points out that there are "sins of intellect," where one departs from the truth.
This Ghost guy had abandoned the Resurrection theory when he deemed it "ceased to commend itself to the critical faculties which God had given me."
Wow, this guys thinks a lot about his smarts, huh? I'm reminded about how the giants of intellect, people like Einstein, apparently were heard to say, "We know so little." Instead of boasting of what they did know, the true giants of the brain humble themselves against the expanse of knowledge that they've barely taken a chunk out of.
This Ghost guy came to the conclusion on earth that Jesus died too young, and that was a tragedy, because like him Jesus surely would have changed His position on a number of intellectual conclusions. He sees the cross as a mistake that God made, cutting us all short.
Wow. I'd like to say, if I may, "What a fool!"
When one loses sight of what happened at the cross, they lose sight of its mission, they lose sight of their true condition, and they lose sight of a truth that cuts through every facet of life.
After our character hears this conversation end (which must've made the "Bright Person" sad and dismayed at the arrogance of the one he's trying to help), he figures he might be able to walk on water. He figures this since the matter there is somehow more dense than he. So he tries it. He falls down and was carried by the current about 30 yards.
Posted by Doug Van Pelt at April 4, 2007 05:27 PM