Then
I said: “The arguments which we have accepted bring us to that conclusion. But
tell me, do you leave no punishment of the soul to follow after the death of
the body?”
“Yes,”
she answered, “heavy punishments, of which some, I think, are effected by
bitter penalties, others by a cleansing mercy. But it is not my intention to discuss
these now.
“My
object has been to bring you to know that the power of evil men, which seems to
you so unworthy, is in truth nothing; and that you may see that those wicked
men, of whose impunity you complained, do never miss the reward of their
ill-doing; and that you may learn that their passion, which you prayed might soon
be cut short, is not long-enduring, and that the longer it lasts, the more unhappiness
it brings, and that it would be most unhappy if it endured for ever.
“Further,
I have tried to show you that the wicked are more to be pitied if they escape with
unjust impunity, than if they are punished by just retribution. And it follows upon
this fact that they will be undergoing heavier penalties when they are thought
to be unpunished.”
—from
Book 4, Prose 4
Will
there are also be eternal consequences for the way we choose to live in this
life, rewards or punishments in an afterlife, or in a next life? Would knowing
that it is so give a greater weight to the power of Providence? Might it offer
a finality to things, a certainty that nothing can escape an ultimate justice?
Speaking
only for myself, I have found that this can be a misleading line of inquiry for
me. Whether the human soul is immortal, and whether our judgments now have very
real consequences later, is indeed a critical question, and our answer will
shape much of how we view our place in the totality of things. Nevertheless, I
must be careful not to ask the question for all the wrong reasons.
Coming
to know what my future state might be isn’t a problem, but relying on that
future state to make excuses for my life now is a problem. I find it too easy
to look to what will happen then, instead of focusing on what is happening now.
There is something base and mercenary in me when I expect treats for myself and
my friends later, and only tricks for my enemies and opponents later.
My sense
of justice can all too easily be replaced by a desire for gratification and
vengeance.
So I do
not ignore the question, but I put it aside, for the moment, when I consider
why I should choose to do good instead of evil. I should follow virtue because
it fulfills my very humanity, and expresses itself in happiness simply by
itself. I should avoid vice because it cripples my humanity, and expresses
itself in misery simply by itself. Do not tell me that there needs to be more,
because this is already enough: the good life is good for its own sake, or it
is not a good life to begin with.
It seems
that Lady Philosophy is trying to guide Boethius in a similar manner, affirming
that the effects of our actions are indeed greater than we might think, but
also reminding him to see Providence at work right in front of him, here and
now. He does not need to wait for his rewards, and those who have treated him
unjustly do not need to wait for their punishments. The rewards and punishments
cannot be separated form the thoughts and deeds themselves.
Perhaps
thinking in this way can also help me to learn pity, not by looking down on
others, but by showing genuine compassion for others. When another tries to
hurt me, he may attack me on the outside, while he only hurts himself on the
inside.
Should I
not want what is good for him, instead of stewing with anger? There is
something I can do about that immediately, and I don’t need to dwell on his
fate down the road. If I offer love, I will surely become better, and there is
a chance, just a chance, that he may use that as an opportunity to become
better himself. Let me worry about the joy and suffering in front of me at the
moment.
I have a
rather unpleasant memory of a religious zealot I once knew giving me what he
intended as a pep talk, but instead ended up making me far more aware of the
malice in my own motives.
“Look,
just rest assured that they will be in Hell, and you will be in Heaven. You
will have the last laugh! You will have eternal glory, and they will only have
eternal pain. God’s power takes care of it that way!”
No, just
no. I cannot bring myself to imagine either God or his Saints taking pleasure
in laughing last. Love is the law of Nature, and the will of Nature’s God. The
evil man deserves to be helped, not to be hated.
Written in 11/2015
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