Close your eyes. No really close your eyes. Wait, not yet. When you close your eyes after you read this first paragraph, think about what heaven looks like. Ok, now close your eyes for 25 seconds.
Where was heaven? Who was there? What kind of surroundings did your picture of heaven conjure up?
I hope that you closed your eyes. J
I have been a follower of Christ since I can remember. I was taught, as I have written about earlier, a different type of faith, but nonetheless I was guided to follow Christ. However, it’s only in the past few years have I really questioned my faith in a real and devastating way. I use devastating, knowing full well the implications. These month I have called on my past experience and knowledge of faith and doubt to work through my issues with the resurrection of the Christ. It is my thought and belief, in fact, it is central to all faith. Maybe you already knew that, maybe you didn't. With this new found reality, I feel it has some huge impactions for the rest of my questions and brings with it some new responsibilities. One of the impactions of the resurrection is, if it brought the Kingdom of Heaven to earth, then we must, change our thinking about Heaven and Earth as two distinct "places." It’s so Greek to think that Heaven is in space and heaven is disconnected from earth. It's funny. NT Wright says, "Part of getting used to living in the post-Easter world, [the resurrection] it changes your life, your attitudes, your thinking, your behavior...Heaven and Earth are made for each other." The Kingdom of Heaven at certain places intersects earth. "Christians are meant to be such points."
This isn't a metaphor; it’s not just a good explanation of how to think about heaven.
Our mission is to bring Heaven to earth. Sure, there are places that we can't bring it; however, there is a place which you can—Your Life.
1 comment:
When I picture heaven it's usually a calm, serene place. Typically there are white streets, which doesn't really go with Revelation's descriptions of streets of gold. Oh, well.
As far as your main point, though, I think we can make two mistakes in our thinking about heaven. We can either think of it only as a place far off or we can think of it fully being part of where we are today. I believe the Bible shows that it will be distinct from what we experience here and now, but also that Jesus instituted the Kingdom in his ministry with its full existence to come at a later date.
Just my thoughts.
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