There's a peculiar view of Christians that
has rather unfortunately become quite a common misconception. It's the idea
that Christians hunker down, hate the world and all it's awful worldy things
like television and cakes, and wait for heaven.
But what is heaven?
And what did Jesus mean when he said 'the
Kingdom of heaven is close at hand' back in Matthew?
The way I understand heaven is quite simple: stuff being as it was meant to be. A return to Eden, if you will. Things being right, or as the Revelation puts it, all things being made new.
The thing about Jesus is that he didn't
talk all that much about the 'after you die heaven' that some views of
Christianity tend to focus on. In fact, he didn't really talk about death in
the way we do at all. Jesus talked about those who follow him having 'already'
passed from death to life. Kind of fitting in with all this incessant 'kingdom
of heaven' talk. It's not all for later, over the hill and far away, in the
happy every after. It's 'at hand'. It's now.
Which means that heaven is on earth. Not
completely, not fully. But hints, glimmers, tastes and reflections of heaven
are all around us. Whenever stuff is right, working as it should. A little
taste of heaven. Whenever we get back into right relationship with God and with
each other. A foretaste of heaven.
When husband and wife live in committed,
selfless and passionate love for each other. A little bit of heaven. When
family works as it should - love, grace, forgiveness, laughter, joy. A bit of heaven.
When you get a sun bathed view of Loch Long, the Cobbler and Loch Lomond from the shoulders of Ben Narnain. A taste of
heaven. For me anyway.
And just think. None of those things, not
one, are the true picture of heaven. When things will truly be made new, when
we will finally be reconnected fully and eternally with the source of all joy,
life and fullness. If all of those reflections of heaven are so glorious, just
imagine what the glory of the true thing will be like.
See Christianity isn't about the rejection
of the good things. It is about the discovery of what really is good. Eternal
life starts now. Like the Psalmist, we can say not only that we will 'dwell in
the house of The Lord for ever' but also that 'goodness and mercy follow me all
the days of my life'. In other words, heaven starts - little by little - on
earth.
