As I delve once again into The Inferno by Dante Alighieri, it isn’t in honor of Halloween or mere curiosity about medieval poetry. It’s a reflection on profound spiritual truths that continue to echo through time. My studies in English at Maryville University have deepened my appreciation for ancient and medieval literature, especially works like Dante’s. These texts are not just relics of the past; they reveal timeless insights about sin, judgment, and redemption—truths that are just as relevant today.

But this time, I want to take the series deeper. Alongside Dante’s vision of the descent into hell, I will be sharing more of my husband Dexter’s personal testimony—his own vivid encounters with the reality of hell. His experiences are raw and unforgettable, and when placed alongside Dante’s allegorical journey, they create a powerful and sobering parallel.

As a child, I didn’t fully understand the spiritual encounters I was having—seeing things others dismissed as figments of imagination. But years later, after my encounter with The Truth, I came to understand why those experiences were real and spiritually significant. And now, walking beside my husband through his testimony, I see even more clearly that Dante’s journey through The Inferno mirrors many of the spiritual battles and encounters we ourselves have faced.

Hell is not an abstract concept. It is very real. Scripture tells us plainly: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness” (Ephesians 6:12). Yet even in the face of this darkness, there is hope. As Romans 10:9 promises, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Over the next several weeks, I’ll be revamping this series—taking you step by step through Dante’s Inferno, weaving it together with personal testimony and the unshakable truth of God’s Word. This is not for the sake of fear, but for the sake of awakening. Because if hell is real—and it is—then the hope we have in Jesus is even more urgent, more necessary, and more beautiful.

I invite you to stay tuned and return here on Monday for part two as we continue this descent into the depths of hell and rise again into the light of hope.

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