MY DESCENT INTO HELL - Paper I submitted in Eschatology class regarding this book by Howard Storm

By Silva Redigonda Every once in a while one may read a book, that can touch her heart. My Descent into Death by Howard Storm does much more than that. It takes hold of your soul. Reading this book has been a challenge because it brought tears, laughter and soul searching. This book could not be read and set aside and yet this book could not be read in one sitting because it is too overwhelming, at least it was for this reader. To provide a formal paper for this book is to do it injustice because it is a call to each person to take notice that there is God and Jesus and angels and devils. To write formally regarding someone who wrote so much from his heart might take away from what I believe is the intent of this book so I will take a chance and just speak from my heart as well. I opened this book during reading week. I was feeling sick, battling some cold and had slept for about two days while trying to stay awake reading dry material. I was just starting to feel better and began reading Howard Storm (I did not read a book. I read a man). As I began I was grateful that after weeks of formal jargon, I could just sit and actually enjoy what I was reading. Tears began to run down my cheeks and I felt that I might still be sick. Why else would I be crying? I decided that I would lend this book out to everyone before the course even ends because I want to know their reaction. I finished reading Howard Storm and realized I had done so in four segments. I had only the Pilgrim left to read and after I did, I began to type. I did not read other material from my mountain of required reading during the breaks from Howard Storm because I wanted to remain totally absorbed with what I was experiencing. For over a year I have been reading everything I have been told to read but finding God or Jesus in it has been somewhat confusing. The Bible has become more of a historical text to me than inspiration. Listening to people outside of our school in other courses has made me question how some can call themselves ministers in their self righteousness. Reading Howard Storm I felt God and Jesus and the angels and the devils. I felt Howard’s pain but mostly I felt the pain of God. Not for a second did I doubt what Howard Storm was revealing. I believed all of it. Because I believed it, I suffered. Why do I believe Howard Storm? Because to me My Descent Into Hell makes sense. Howard Storm was a bono fide atheist who apparently had a dislike for any type of religion or spirituality. It must have been pretty bad, for him to experience hell. It is raw emotion that Storm is experiencing. He takes you on his journey. Being held by Jesus and beginning to understand our world, what an experience! It appears farfetched yet it is believable because of the man he was. Why would he make all this up? He was well positioned and respected in his field. He had no belief in God. He was even annoyed by it. What I find comforting is that God does intervene in the world (p 43). I sometimes feel that we are very helpless as individuals when it comes to changing the world. We seem to be under the control of a select group of people who make national decisions and those same groups are somewhat controlled by other sub groups. Even in free nations I must ask how free are we? With God intervening there is hope. Yet that intervention also causes fear because it may mean death for many. I also have comfort, knowing I have a guardian angel because I sense someone with me at times (pp52, 140, 141). Though I very much believe Howard Storm I do argue a few statements. By the quotation, “Parents can never stop loving their child no matter what”…(p62) I disagree. I think there are some very nasty people out there. People have beaten and killed their children with no remorse. If this is Storm speaking I can understand. This would not be Jesus speaking because he knows better. I also am surprised that Storm uses the analogy of doubting our parents as we may doubt God.(p 66). Parents can be seen. They are physically there. Howard did not believe God until he saw God so I do not understand his reasoning here. I think that faith is required to believe in God unless someone does experience something outside of our rationale as Storm did. There is so much to talk about this book and how it can effect. This book has helped me decide that I will not refuse pastoral care to anyone who will come to me for it. If I am too busy I would refer them to others but never because I find the person repulsive. As I read about Storm crying out to Jesus to save him (p 25) I crossed out my question to another professor for another class. I read salvation 8 times in one page of the Vatican 11 and thought it overkill. Suddenly it made sense. I understand now what the purpose was of our first assignment. This is hope. There is something after this life that is good. We just need to be reminded at times. Sometimes some of us just need a little help with our faith. Howard Storm has been that help for me.