Jesus referred to Heaven as ‘Paradise’ when on the cross He spoke to the thief who had defended him. It’s not a place we know much about really other than everyone seems to want to get there. There are references to heaven in the Bible that mention houses and the availability of wine. We are told it will be a place where no pain exists.
Some might see it as a fitting reward for a life well lived. But seriously, who can judge how well we have lived to deserve eternal happiness? And what if we haven’t been ‘good’. How might this affect our final destination?
Is heaven the great golf course in the sky as some would hope or would we dance around God’s throne all day singing ‘Alleluia?’ Our problem is that we try to envisage something we know little about and couch it in human terms.
Jesus made it very clear our role here on earth is to love one another. Yet, when you consider our search for power, money and greed put us constantly at war with each other in different locations around the globe, killing and maiming each other. We can’t even effectively care for the planet our God has created for us. What a mess we are making of our lives down here, yet, through all the pain and misery we heap on each other, our God has only constant love to give each one of us.
In our search for a better understanding of Heaven, we might turn to the song writers and singers, many of whom have given us differing versions of their understanding of Heaven. Belinda Carlisle tells us ‘Heaven is a place on earth.’ Bryan Adams found Heaven in his lover’s heart and Eric Clapton refers to tears in Heaven and wonders whether life would be the same when we get there. Led Zepplin was on a stairway to heaven and the Bee Gees claim that ‘Nobody gets too much Heaven no more.’
However, it was Col Joye who most impressed me with his understanding of Heaven. “Heaven is my woman’s love. Heaven is the way I live,
She gives me all the love she can and then somehow finds more to give.”
Perhaps if we resolve to give ourselves totally to loving, helping and supporting each other, we might get a glimpse of what Heaven is like here on earth and might get to enjoy what the Father has in store for us when at last we knock on His golden gates.
I’m Peter Mack and that’s faith.