I’ve just returned from a three day retreat in rural Texas organized by the C. S. Lewis Foundation. It was a true joy to be at a well attended conference at which committed Christians from across the denominational spectrum united in their love for Christ and His indomitable servant, C. S. Lewis. The theme of the conference was Lewis’s great fantasy work, The Great Divorce. I was the plenary speaker and gave two talks on the theme of “Glorious Marriage or Great Divorce”, highlighting the ultimate choice we all face to serve either ourselves or God and our neighbour and the eternal consequences attached to the choice. I also gave a talk entitled “Wedding Gift or Divorce Settlement”, examining the role of the Christian writer in the modern world in the light of the discussion of art in The Great Divorce. Later I led a discussion group on this topic.
 
In the evenings, at the Bag End café, the participants entertained each other in rambunctious fashion, reciting poetry, singing songs, playing music or performing mime. I introduced a Chesterbellocian dimension into the festivities by serenading the assembled Lewisians with Belloc’s “Lines to a Don”, his spirited defence of Chesterton.
 
On a related note, here’s a short and entertaining trailer to a balletic musical adaptation of The Great Divorce performed recently by students at California Baptist University: