Scarcity
As part of my Continuing Scholars Program at the Marion E. Wade Center, I am rereading for the third or fourth time The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis. The Great Divorce was inspired by Lewis’s reflections on the nature of heaven and hell, as well as his Christian beliefs regarding life after death. These reflections according to the preface came from Lewis having read William Blake’s The Marriage of Heaven and Hell. This book is so C. S. Lewis! He didn’t write the book to go against Blake, but to make sense of Blake’s views. At the beginning of the Preface Lewis wrote, “If I have written of their [heaven and hell] Divorce, this is not because I think myself a fit antagonist for so great a genius, nor even because I feel at all sure that I know what he meant” (p. VII). I love this because even as self-assured Lewis was he is being vulnerable with us. He is making sense of heaven hell with his readers. I like this vulnerability because it makes it okay for me at times to be able to say to myself, “I’m not sure I have a clue what he meant here.” But then I dig in and try to figure it out.
The philosophical allegory follows a bus ride from a dreary, grey town (representing hell) to a vibrant, beautiful landscape (representing heaven). As various characters disembark from the bus, they encounter people who have already made their choice to embrace or reject the divine. Through these encounters, Lewis explores themes such as free will, the nature of sin, redemption, and the human struggle with accepting divine grace.
One character in the book, Mr. Intelligent, said, “It’s scarcity that enables a society to exist.” This really intrigued me and caused me to ponder Lewis’s exploration of the themes of choice, desire, and the nature of reality in this book and others he wrote. Through Mr. Intelligent’s assertion, he seems to be highlighting the consequences of a materialistic worldview—emphasizing that an overemphasis on scarcity can lead to a disconnection from deeper spiritual truths and moral responsibilities.
Through Mr. Intelligent, Lewis introduces us to the idea that society relies on certain limitations or sacrifices to function. The notion of scarcity, in this context, suggests that when resources are limited, people must make choices and prioritize values, which can lead to the establishment of social structures, relationships, and communities.
We are invited, as readers, to reflect on our own choices and the consequences of those choices. Ultimately, Lewis was emphasizing that the path to spiritual fulfillment and joy lies in the acceptance of God’s love and truth.
Byron's Babbles 
[…] in Scarcity, I discussed my rereading of The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis. The Great […]
LikeLike