I Believe In Heaven
My heart's affinity to heaven is tied to my belief in love, and specifically to a God who is best defined by love.
"If she is not now, then she never was.
I mistook a cloud of atoms for a person."
- C. S. Lewis, reflecting upon his deceased wife
Lewis was speaking from the heart, yet not abandoning his mind with his beliefs. I think the essential existence of a person is not tied to or limited to physical matter. So when it comes time for an end to the life of the mass of cells, skin and bones that comprise a person's physical being, then I believe there is a personhood that continues. I celebrate the memory. I hold limited value to the ashes before me. And I believe that person continues to live, even as I look forward to a future reunion.
The soul is immortal because of the love of God. It is tied to my belief in a loving God who delights is us as His crowning creation, and evidences such love through sacrificial giving. If you and I are such an integral part of God's joy, then it is reasonable to believe He would want to continue such fellowship with us beyond this relatively short span of time here on earth.. And God is the magnificent Creator, so He is able to lengthen our association with Him to eternity. Surely His love would do so. And since He so eloquently and so consistently preaches love, then He also will practice that love through eternal relationship with His children.
Also, I believe that life after death is necessary for final justice. Most of us would agree that, often, there is no justice in this life. Babies die. People unnessarily and unfairly suffer. Followers of Christ are martyred. Bad things happen, and sometimes we cannot put a spin on the matter and find anything good from it. But, belief in eternal life adds a different perspective. It makes this life, even if it includes great injustice, just an ever-so-brief stroll that is part of a long and wonderful journey. Eternal life is the great and conclusive experience of justice.
Heaven is not, necessarily, tied to our many religious images, which are not meant to be taken with absolute literalism. I would find fluffy clouds and harps to be boring, at least after a few thousand years. I think human language, including the written word even at it's most eloquent, cannot do justice to God's fabulous expression of love through the gift of eternal life. I do like the following words of Paul:
"No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no mind has imagined
what God has prepared
for those who love him." - I Corinthians 2:9 (NLT)
Ah yes, I believe in heaven!
01.27.07 (11:55 am) [
edit]
posted by:
mimi (
reply)
post date:
01.27.07 (9:26 am)
this, my friend, is exactly what I have been trying to say, but you were able to put it into the most eloquent of words. we are on the same page, although not surprising, at least to me : ) sam continues, even though his body is gone, and I continue to love him and I celebrate him and the memories we created and share...as I do with many other of my loved ones who are gone and I believe that he is with God, watching over us and waiting to be rejoined. xoxox
posted by:
newstonesoup (
reply)
post date:
01.27.07 (9:43 am)
"Suffer us not to mock ourselves with falsehood/
Teach us to care and not to care/
Teach us to sit still/
Even among these rocks,/
Our peace in His will/
And even among these rocks/
Sister, mother/
And spirit of the river, spirit of the sea,/
Suffer me not to be separated/
/
And let my cry come unto Thee. /"
--T.S. Eliot, Ash Wednesday
My own beliefs about God are somewhat different than yours, Pastor, but I feel a similar need for connection, a tie to everything, or Something, that I think comes from Love or Intention.
posted by:
bawdy (
reply)
post date:
01.27.07 (11:13 am)
I sure hope you're right!
posted by:
FinalyFree (
reply)
post date:
01.27.07 (2:35 pm)
Beautiful post :)
And heaven will be an even more beautiful place with folks like you there!
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
01.27.07 (3:39 pm)
Reply to: mimi
I don't know about eloquent words. But I do appreciate that we are kindred spirits in this matter. I'm fully convinced that God's love for us certainly overcomes death. Sam did not need to be limited to this body and this time. Something better was prepared for him. And he surely rejoices at this time.
Hope all is well with you and your daughter.
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
01.27.07 (3:42 pm)
Reply to: newstonesoup
Nice words from T. S. Eliot. To sit still and have peace amidst the rocks is a fitting description of being known by God. I like it. And, although we may have different beliefs, I suspect we're not really much different at all.
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
01.27.07 (3:44 pm)
Reply to: bawdy
It's all about a Leap Of Faith. It's reasoned, but still in the end it is faith. And I'm comfortable with such.
You have been a faithful reader, and good with your comments, for quite some time. Thanks for hanging with me.
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
01.27.07 (3:46 pm)
Reply to: FinalyFree
Maybe the new body that comes with our experience of heaven will include a new face; then I can fulfill your words!
I've often said, if there were no heaven, my Christian faith would still be worth it all. I still believe such. But, more and more, heaven is important to me.
posted by:
mimi (
reply)
post date:
01.27.07 (4:56 pm)
Reply to: PastorDave
April is doing well. I am doing well and we are wonderful together...thanks for asking. xoxox
posted by:
surrogate (
reply)
post date:
01.27.07 (6:40 pm)
I don't know or care if there's a heaven. You don't know but you do care.
I have no ax to grind either way, except I know for a fact we can't prove that heaven is or is not real, and I regret so much selective importance is put on it... Makes it too darned easy to accept things we shouldn't accept having to do with this tangeble sphere/gift we live on; something we know exists without having to spend much effort debating or convicing others to believe in. Unfortunately, these days there seems to be a correlation between people believing strongly in an afterlife and being able to justify doing harm to others. Very very weird, isn't it?
posted by:
69whisper (
reply)
post date:
01.27.07 (11:56 pm)
i do believe in heaven and life after life. BTW, have you read this book 'Life after Life' by Dr. Raymond. A Moody ? Its an excellent read.
posted by:
LadyG (
reply)
post date:
01.28.07 (9:52 am)
Beautiful post PD, I believe In heaven .
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
01.29.07 (8:10 pm)
Reply to: surrogate
I don't understand not caring if there is a heaven. If there is a heaven, then we can have much in the way of hope. We will see our loved ones, again. Life has greater meaning than just this life. And, God's love indeed has no limits. These are important, and I think worthwhile.
There is an old saying that "...one can be so heavenly minded that he is no earthly good." Foremost, our faith should have practical implications for the here and now. If it doesn't make a positive difference in how we treat others, then it is of no good. If I were a Muslim, I would worry that the scales of justice that will one day be used to determine my eternal destiny would be tilted against me if I do harm to my fellow man. Without love, any faith is inferior.
posted by:
surrogate (
reply)
post date:
01.29.07 (8:41 pm)
Reply to: PastorDave I know you don't understand not caring. My faith in my creator is such that I don't worry about what men have to say about the afterlife, (and the Bible was written by men.) I trust that if there is a heaven, I'll see it when I'm dead. If there isn't one, I'm thankful for what I've been given here and now. And since no creator I could ever believe in would be so vain as to insist on the "narrow path" espoused by those who are so sure they're right about the way that whole deal works, I don't worry about hell either. The fact is, that for the both of us, only time will tell, and no amount of thought or prayer will give us the slightest clue what's going to happen when, or until, we stop breathing for a while. Till then? I'll just stay curious and thankful.
posted by:
surrogate (
reply)
post date:
01.29.07 (8:52 pm)
Hey, how about this. I'll change a couple of words.
I were a Christian, I would worry that the scales of justice that will one day be used to determine my eternal destiny would be tilted against me if I do harm to my fellow man. Without continually working toward a way to lovingly make peace with those I see as my enemies (regardless of how they treat me (as the one to whom I pray instructed clearly, repeatedly and fervantly,) my faith is inferior.
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
02.08.07 (8:04 pm)
Reply to: surrogate
This is a fundamental difference between Islam &
Christianity. For the Christian, eternal life does not come through good works. It is through faith in Jesus Christ. No scales of justice. But, and this is a major matter, a genuine Christian will give evidence of his personal relationship with God treating others with love. Still, we are all inferior and undeserving. It is a matter of our faith and God's grace.
posted by:
surrogate (
reply)
post date:
02.09.07 (12:01 am)
Reply to: PastorDave
So, by extrapolation, for "Christians," any actions are justifiable as long as you "believe" the right stuff and have rationalized things sufficiently.
Nothing new there. That's exactly what you folks have always claimed, and, of course, it's one of most dangerous tenants of your take on your own faith. It goes hand in hand with criticizing people who believe differently than you do, lumping them all together, and having the happy arrogance to judge them, treat them as cannon fodder, and sleep soundly at night, smug in the sureness of actions resulting from the propagation of that outlook. I don't expect you to understand this, as it's sort of "your job" to be blinded to it.
This is where, I'll assume, you try to explain, again, how it's perfectly reasonable to love people and kill them too...
