Brian’s Reflection: Saturday, September 22, 2007


Hell is not far below,
Not black, not burning,
Nor even past returning:
You come and go.

You go and come
As in a mirror,
But hell is nearer,
And not so numb.

And when you go
You do not lose it,
Because you chose it--As you know.

- Babette Deutsch, American poet,
born 0n this day, 1895


I am somewhat known for theological one-line zingers. I’ve kind of adopted this form, as I get a tired brain trying to explain a lot of things. And this somewhat silly expectation I’m trying to meet is made only the more futile as my own understandings change on a frequent basis.

When asked, “What is the purpose of Life?”, I say, “To enjoy it!”. I think that Rita Mae Brown also said this – but I am certain that I coined it before she did!

Another of my one-liners is, “God doesn’t send anyone to Hell (if there is one); you can only get there by choosing it.” Now I find that Babette has stolen my thunder!

I have no idea if there is an Absolute called Hell, or whether Hell is a kind of free-floating archetype for ….. well, Hell. As in “all kinds of unpleasantness”.

What I do know is, we make all sorts of Hell for ourselves and for each other. Religion seems to have been an especially fertile field for this - and certainly still is today. We find ourselves in a great deal of Hell these days, all of us.

But remember - as Babette is, I believe, correct. “You do not lose it / Because you chose it—as you know”. Corporately, as the human race, we have and did and do.

Time for a change! Let’s start un-choosing it! Let’s choose bliss and laughter instead. Try it tomorrow.

Brian+