Thinking Anew
A WISE man who happened to be a mathematician, when asked what heaven was, replied that it was a place where those who wanted to go went, while those who did not want to go simply did not.
Alas, when ideas of heaven and hell are discussed, the emphasis is so often on the horrors of hell.
I can still remember my days in primary school when a teacher told the class that hell was like being in a fire, while listening to the tick of a clock that never stopped. Each tick seemed like an eternity. It was a vivid picture, which had a lasting impact.
Strangely I cannot remember anyone ever giving any sort of enlightened idea of heaven, except to say it was a place of perfect happiness. But there were never any graphic images of the place. Is this somehow like the media being frequently accused of giving the bad news but seldom proclaiming the good story?
Christianity is about spreading the good news of Jesus Christ and his message. It is unfortunate that so much emphasis is placed on hell fire rather than on the mystery, beauty and majesty of heaven which God plans as our destiny.
In tomorrow’s Gospel we read: “For God sent his Son into the world not to condemn the world, but so that through him the world might be saved” (John 3:17). Far too often people are left with the impression that the imbalance is on the side of fear and guilt rather than joy, freedom and innocence.
Of course this world of ours is not perfect, but neither is it simply a valley of tears. The world is a creation of God and we – his creatures – are in the process of growing in our love of God. That process, we believe, reaches its fullness or destiny with God in heaven.
The effects and consequences of sin are, of course, ever present in our world but if we are really convinced of the power of the risen Lord we will always stress the positive over the negative. Heaven is there for those who want to go there and since God calls us to his home we should be confident that our future is with Him.
Despite the setbacks, despite our experiences of the dark and evil in the world, we believe that goodness will prevail and in the end we will be engulfed in the greatness and goodness of God.
While we are in the midst of an economic winter, spring is making its mark. The days are getting longer and warmer. The birds are busy preparing for new life. When we see the wonder of spring and appreciate the hints of the summer ahead we dismiss all thoughts of winter. Our hope lies with the bright and warm days, the days that offer growth and hope.
In a similar fashion surely our focus has to be on the power and glory of God. This does not mean that we deny the existence of wrong and evil or the existence of hell. But it does mean that we are so full of the story of the Good News of Jesus Christ we concentrate on all that is good about God. Surely it’s time to stop talking and thinking about hell.
MC