Heaven

Comment by: NCxian

Mr. Smith died and went to heaven. St. Peter met him at the pearly gates and said, “here, let me take you on the tour”. He showed him all kinds of great places that Mr. Smith could enjoy during his stay, and Mr. Smith was very happy. At one point, however, they came upon an area that was enclosed by a high thick fence. Mr. Smith was dismayed and asked, “why the fence”? St. Peter said, “oh, we put the *Southern Baptists* in there. They’re not happy with heaven unless they think they are the only ones here”.
(At the asterisk, name your favorite group that has strictly exclusivist views of heaven–I name SBs because I am technically one!).

Comment by: Stephan

I don’t give heaven a lot of thought because I cannot imagine an eternity of doing anything! I have a hard enough time planning what I am going to do next week, so infinity is a little beyond me. When I get there (and I believe I will) I will find out what it’s like. I can wait.

For now I am trying to make as much heaven on earth as possible. I married an angel and together we made three more. I don’t play the harp, but the guitar is similar. The streets here are not paved with gold, but since asphalt is a petroleum product it’s getting pretty close.

I believe there is a literal heaven, but Jesus spent most of His time telling us how to live this life, so that is what I focus on.

Comment by: Ir

Simon wrote: People say heaven provides them with meaning to life. It doesn’t. All it does is add an extra life.

Thanks for your comment, Simon.

What effect does the belief “I have an extra life” have on the way those with that belief live their [current] lives?

Comment by: Julie Marie

Oh, and another thing I imagine when I think about heaven: it will be a feast for the eyes. For me that would be well tended gardens with exotic flowers, birds that sing but don’t poop, and waterfalls cascading into clear pools that are always just right for a skinny dip. Because of course, there is no physical imperfection to hide in heaven, either ;)

Comment by: Jim Henderson

I like to say “Justice Demands Heaven” because if this is as good as it gets then there are millions of people who have spent their lives in Hell.

Comment by: KSG

Eternity…wow… it’s too much to think about. It causes my head to wreck, the idea of not having an ending…too much…Aurghhh….
What will heaven be like? Man, I’ve tried to wrap my head around it but it all seems so small. The biggest ideas I can dream up fall really short of all the possibilities.

Jim said “Justice Demands Heaven” . I would like to add that heaven demand justice here and now, never mind later…later will come when it comes, but it’s my assignment to bring a piece of heaven to where I live. That’s were my thoughts of heaven currently lie… I’d like to be found in heaven by doing the stuff.

Comment by: Tom in Sacramento

Julie wrote:

when I think about heaven: it will be a feast for the eyes. For me that would be well tended gardens with exotic flowers, birds that sing but don’t poop, and waterfalls cascading into clear pools that are always just right for a skinny dip.

You just described my backyard (except I haven’t trained the birds yet) and I live on a street named ‘El Cielito’; Spanish for little heaven. ;-)

In truth, I hardly ever think about heaven. But I am convinced that it is real — maybe in a different dimension — and I think that it will be so different from anything we can experience that attempts to describe it are necessarily futile.

The image I use, when the subject does come up, is “death and heaven” being like “birth and earth”. Imagine you had the ability; you slip into a womb and find there a baby who is warm and cozy, protected from the jostles of life, nourished with no effort, and shielded from glare.

And so you say, “You need to be born so that you can get out of here and enjoy life.” And you explain that the baby will be unconstrained by any of the things that it now regards as comforts. (That’s an important point, there.) And the baby, says, “No way. I can’t imagine the world you describe. You tell me that it will be painful; squeezing and compressing me in order to get there. I’ll be cold and hungry and even those who love me will be unable to fully meet my needs, and ultimately I’ll have to live on my own. No thank you kindly. I’ll just stay here.”

But, of course, the baby doesn’t have that option. And neither will we. Just as, as babies, we once squeezed through the birth canal only to find an immense expansion of our range and freedom of movement, so I think we will one day walk down a narrow corridor to deaths door. And in like manner we will find that on the other side of the door lies a world as unimaginably rich and complex and diverse as our world is from the inside of a womb.

I could go on, there’s lots more to this picture, but y’all get the idea.

Comment by: Ir

Julie Marie wrote: I still want flowers and waterfalls too :)

Ooh, me too! I like that the Bible teaches about a new heaven and a new earth - because I enjoy the beauty of this earth very much! I liked your other comments along those lines too, Julie Marie.

Thanks everyone for your thoughtful and interesting comments.

I like the idea - going with Siamang’s great comment that Jim picked up on - that heaven would give me time to learn about all the things I won’t have time to learn about on earth.

Tom I like this:

we will find that on the other side of the door lies a world as unimaginably rich and complex and diverse as our world is from the inside of a womb.

KSG wrote: it’s my assignment to bring a piece of heaven to where I live.

Awesome thought, KSG!

Marty wrote: It was clear how extremely conservative [the Muslims at the meeting] are in male female relationships. They would never even dream of flirting. I wondered how they could not even dream of flirting in this life - but were going for the 100 virgins in Heaven.

Maybe that’s precisely why they are excited about the 100 virgins in heaven. ;)

Jim wrote: I like to say “Justice Demands Heaven” because if this is as good as it gets then there are millions of people who have spent their lives in Hell.

Wow Jim - I love how otherly your reason for hoping heaven is real is.

I like the idea of heaven but I can’t even imagine what it would be like so I won’t say if I’d enjoy it or if it would be undesirable.

Thanks for your comment TX. I think it’s hard to imagine too, actually.

john wrote: However cool that is, if I sat around and thought about how wonderful it will be when I die, I may not be able to live in Christ now.

Good point - I expect you’ve heard the expression “he/she was so heavenly-minded he/she was no earthly good…” ;)

Thanks for the joke NCxian. (It was a joke, wasn’t it?)

Stephan wrote: I believe there is a literal heaven, but Jesus spent most of His time telling us how to live this life, so that is what I focus on.

Nice focus, Stephan. It seems to me that focusing on following Jesus in this life would be the best way to make it likely Jesus will be happy to see you when you get to the next one.

(Simon I responded to your comment up in comment #6)

Comment by: Ir

Karen wrote: Would you be able to be perfectly happy in heaven, knowing that some other people are in hell, or that they at least died without experiencing heaven?

Karen, I think that’s a great question.

I find it hard to think that I could be. That it’s possible to be happy in heaven when loved ones are in hell is a part of Christian belief I don’t really understand.

Comment by: Lisa

I imagine sometimes that maybe it’s possible there is no Hell; that everyone goes to heaven; And that in heaven there is a party going on. While many are inside enjoying themselves others are outside and can only look in. People here on earth think they know what it takes to get an invitation to the party…

Just imagining.

Comment by: Ir

Lisa wrote: I imagine sometimes that maybe it’s possible there is no Hell; that everyone goes to heaven; And that in heaven there is a party going on. While many are inside enjoying themselves others are outside and can only look in. People here on earth think they know what it takes to get an invitation to the party…

Just imagining.

I’d rather think there’s no hell and I like the idea of heaven being a party.

What puzzles me is ‘no second chance’ beliefs. I don’t really understand why, if people live on after death, and someone says to God “Hey I screwed up - I would rather be in heaven - what do I have to do?” God would say “too bad - it’s too late now”.

I guess I really don’t want to think that heaven could be like some exclusive club on earth.

I also really don’t understand when people say “oh it wouldn’t happen that anyone in hell changes their mind - the people in hell will all say (forever) they’d rather be there than with God”. If heaven is so great I don’t understand why that would be.

I love the pictures of heaven people have shared on this thread, notwithstanding the things that puzzle me.

Comment by: Stephan

Karen, regarding your quote about enjoying heaven while other are in hell, I have struggled quite a bit with this, to the point of telling God I would be willing to go the hell so that others did not have to. He assured me that He had already been there and had taken care of it, so I’m not worried.

Comment by: NCxian

Thanks for the joke NCxian. (It was a joke, wasn’t it?)

Yeah, it was a joke. They work out so much better when you can wave your arms around and make faces!

Comment by: Ir

Ooooh, I’m jealous, Lisa! :)

Comment by: Cully

Also… looking again at the quote:

Never again will any of us experience the slightest cringing when we see an individual moving toward us.

Again… by whose standards is this stuff decided? I’m sure that there are people on this planet who cringe when they see me coming because they know that I bring with me the potential for a conversation about theatre, and they hate theatre. So who gets “fixed?” Me or them? Is my love of theatre driven out because they didn’t like it or will they suddenly be gifted with an appreciation for it?

Comment by: 2e

I’ve been listening to a book on cd called “Heaven” by Randy Alcorn. It’s transforming my views on what Heaven is and is like.

I disagree with John, the first poster, an would say that heaven IS the cake, not the icing. Heaven in my view is a perfected relationship with God. The new earth and eternal life parts: now that’s icing.

Comment by: skikid

I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about life after death… but when I do the idea of Heaven as a place is very strange to me. I don’t really think that after death there is a big garden type place where everyone hangs out. I think more along the lines of being in perfect relationship with God… although I should probably admit I really have no idea what that would look like. I just think the whole garden, lots of food, 100 virgins… whatever, is much more of a human construction.

Comment by: Tom in Sacramento

Cully, I love your comment about you and theater. It reminds me of the old comment that, “Heaven for a cat would be hell for a mouse.” ;-)