Good Stories Podcast

In this episode, we invite you to look at heaven and hell through the eyes of C.S. Lewis. The Great Divorce presents a somewhat bizarre but deeply insightful “imaginary supposal,” where Lewis imagines what it might look like for a person to choose hell over heaven.

The story shows personal examples of how a person’s thoughts and choices can shape their eternity—and the tension between the self-centered nature of hell and the liberating joy of heaven.

But The Great Divorce isn’t just a reflection of the consequences of rejecting heaven; it is also a beautiful and hopeful invitation to choose transformation, freedom, and the love of God. The hope that even those who are stuck in darkness can find redemption and salvation in the light of heaven is woven throughout the narrative. It’s a powerful reminder that no matter how far we’ve fallen, the possibility of redemption is always within reach.

Dedicated to David. This episode was a labor of love as the story of Arthur spans centuries and countless books. Combine that with regional and oral stories passed down over time AND academic and archaeological research, there's always more to go!

Most people know 'a little bit' about King Arthur. We hope this sampling of history and stories about the Once and Future King helps you better understand how much more there is to his tale and gives you a glimpse of the wonderful expanse of stories associated with Arthur.

While what's told about Arthur changes over time, it's important to hold on to the light and the good of stories told before as well. The legend of King Arthur was, and still is, a truly good story.

In this episode, we’re diving into J.R.R. Tolkien’s Leaf by Niggle; a short but beautiful story that describes our friend Niggle as he strives to create his perfect tree, leaf by leaf. Initially he fails but in collaboration with his neighbor Parish, he builds something far greater.

Whether Tolkien meant for the names of Niggle and Parish to have deeper meaning or just "picked at random from the first name I came to in the phone directory" (from the letters of JRR Tolkien), he uses both characters to create meaningful symbols of love, work, and relationship. This story -- like Niggle's tree -- is a gift.

Enjoy!

Join us as we discuss the world of George MacDonald -- who C.S. Lewis called 'the Teacher'. We jump into his fairytales with Photogen and Nycteris - the day boy and the night girl. We talk about their lives and growth -- And the mad witch who imprisoned them.

Our audio gets better after this first episode - we promise! Jumping in with both feet and learning as we go. Welcome!