From a wise pastor-friend:

I love the C.S.Lewis quote (the great surprises at who made it to heaven!) and the plea that at least we all ought to be, like God, universalists at heart--desiring profoundly that none should perish.

My own "leanings " toward universalism, have evolved, over time, from very subtle shifts that came with deep illuminations in some 'peak experiences" - some sort of fundamental re-discoveries--

1. A vivid awareness of the intimacy and intrinsic nature of God's relationship with every human being--Ps 139 and John 1--the Logos/light of God in each of us--our spirit essence (the 'Beloved of the soul')..The Divine root of our idealism, creativity, moral imperatives/longings to be 'better', our spirituality.

2 The universality of the 'judgment' (krisis) of God operating in all human beings/situations, 'saved' or 'unsaved'( 1 Peter 1:17..the Father who 'judges' everymnan's work). "Only God's ways work" for good, so in our 'crises' truth/ God is coming to us, Reality is breaking through. The fundamental purpose of all 'judgements' is redemptive--to help us to "wake up to ourselves," to who and what we really are, as spirit persons, potential 'children of God', who is in us as our spirit essence. This is also the very root of what we sometimes call 'sanctification'. Lack of realization of the Reality of these judgements' ("We are "saved" aren]t we?} leads to huge, unjustified complacency!

3. The universality/Reality of the love and forgiveness of God. What Christ incarnated/revealed is the very Heart of God Himself. His forviveness applies to all open/penitent hearts, seeking truth/following insight/obeying the promptings of spirit into 'the better way'. To enter into God's forgiveness we don't need to believe in the "penal substitutionary theory of the atonement"--a legalistic, exclusivist interpretation! Just come to grasp the Truth/Reality/utter Reliability of God's love, forgiveness and affirmation of our potential for good!

4. A profound awareness of the One-ness of all humans, and all life in "The I AM" in the Body of God....This is the ontology of the family-hood of humans, transcending all lesser tribalism/boundaries..........

I see the purpose of all ' judgments' (Krisis) as redemptive. When Reality breaks through, it is extremely painful to see ourselves as we really are...playing our petty ego-games!~ We see our capacity for 'hellishness' ( which the current world on our T.V. sets reflects), out of which can come the deep longings to be 'made whole'--to do something much better with our lives.

Have any others had near-drowning experiences? I did as a teenager. My whole life thus far passed before my eyes, and I myself was the judge--in the Presence of God. I profoundly wanted to censor that film!...and I am sure it laid the foundations for my conversion experience a year or so later.

As Reality continues to unfold after death, won't something like that continue to happen within all humans as spirit-persons standing naked before God? Isn't it at least likely that all will see both the potential that we had, and the hellishness that has been created, and with it....ultimately, the longings to be united to the Love and Beauty that we were created to be an expression of?

These are some of the "pointers" that make me lean towards universalism. Do they also suggest something of a case for re-incarnation, about which I am happy to remain agnostic? My interest in it is only peripheral at this point...but there could be a case for it!?