The Enemy of the Good by Michael Arditti Page A

medieval counterparts , he was aiming to make a theological as well as an artistic statement, which he proceeded to explain to the Dean. ‘I find the very idea of Hell anathema , even though in many churches I’d be anathematised for saying so. No loving God could condemn us to an eternity without Him; no loving God could condemn Himself to an eternity without us. For, in abandoning the least one of us, He is diminished: His love is diminished.’ The Dean, who had shown more concern for posterity than for eternity, looked anxious, but Clement was determined not to be deterred. ‘The concept of Hell was devised by men to excuse their cruelty. “We’re burning your body to save your soul.” No, you’re burning my body to preserve your power. The greater the punishments they could ascribe to God, the greater the justification they could find for their own. And it worked. Even I, who grew up in the most liberal of church households, feel uneasy about tackling the subject. The most significant human invention may be the wheel, but the most enduring one has been Hell.’
    ‘That is why we should trust in Christ,’ the Dean replied. ‘Our sins may be great, but His love is greater. And why we should trust in the Church, which is the living body of Christ.’ Clement recalled that, for all his worldliness, the Dean was a priest and intent on asserting his authority. ‘Your window is a timely reminder that Christ burst open the gates of Hell – on whatever level you wish to take the metaphor – and set us free. Wouldn’t you agree, Ms…?’
    ‘I don’t have any opinion. I’m a Buddhist.’
    ‘Really? May I ask why?’
    ‘You might just as well ask “why not?”’
    ‘I’m sorry. I assume – perhaps wrongly – that you weren’t born one.’
    ‘No, you’re right. My husband introduced me to the Dharma when we first met. It’s what kept me together when he died. And it has done ever since. It’s the faith, religion, value system (call it what you will) that suits me best.’
    ‘Isn’t it for you to suit your faith, rather than the other way round?’
    ‘That’s a little strong,’ Clement said, impelled to stand up for Carla, despite his sympathies lying with the Dean. Ever since Mark’s first retreat, he had regarded Buddhism as a soft option; even the names of its saints and sites and practices ended in vowels, in contrast to the consonant-constrained West. The surer he grew that there were many different roads to God and that Christianity was simply the one on which by culture and circumstance he had found himself, the weaker he considered the argument for turning off and turning East.
    ‘Forgive me,’ the Dean said to Carla. ‘I’m not casting doubt on your sincerity . But, having seen so many Westerners turn to Eastern religion, I’ve begun to wonder if they look faraway because it’s easier than looking into themselves.’
    ‘I meditate twice a day precisely in order to look into myself. Though, of course, the paradox is that I’m aiming to reach a deeper consciousness where I’ll see that the self is an illusion .’
    ‘I am an illusion?’ the Dean asked incredulously.
    ‘The consciousness that divides you from the rest of the universe is an illusion . We have to learn that all things are one.’
    ‘I’m indebted to you. You’ve given me a feast for the eyes.’ The Dean gestured graciously to the glass. ‘And food for thought.’ Then, with a smile honed on generations of pew-polishers and flower-arrangers, he apologised for the inconvenience and asked to have a private word with Clement. Looking piqued, Carla returned to the house. Clement, who was expecting a mention of money or transport or some other matter which the Dean deemed to be unsuitable for mixed company, was astounded to hear that Deedes’ latest move had been to make a formal complaint about the window to the Cathedral Council, another group of local worthies for whom the Dean had little time. The Council, unable