Heaven and Hell, as described by Richard Paul Evans

For some reason, the following exchange struck a chord with me. It closely resembles my own thoughts and beliefs on Heaven and Hell, and I liked the concise explanation. This excerpt comes from a Richard Paul Evans book called A Perfect Day:

"You want to know what Hell is? What brimstone and burning really is?"

"Yes."

"Hell is the perfect recollection of every evil thing you've done in your life, every thoughtless word, every cruel, evil thought or action. It's knowing that you could have helped your brother and didn't. Hell is clarity, Bob. It's nothing more than clarity." He leaned forward as if to confide in me, his gaze intense. "Do you want to know what heaven is?"

I was locked into his gaze. "Yes."

His voice was barely above a whisper. "It's the same thing."

******

Here's another, this time from his book The Gift:

I believe that the difference between Heaven and Hell is not so much the climate as the company. Living in a world populated by people like themselves would, for many, be Heaven. And for others, it would, indeed, be Hell.

*****

Heaven and Hell aside, I really do enjoy his books.