By Tabitha Ong
I have to honestly say that I haven’t looked forward to going to heaven for a long time until a couple of years back.. If u were to ask me back then, I would tell u that the only reason why I would choose heaven is because it sounds better than hell.. And I’ve realized that many others felt the same way I did..
From teachings over the pulpit and beliefs that have been ingrained in from young, heaven has been made to sound like a really gaudy place, with gates of pearl, and streets of gold, strange precious stones around.. If u did well in ur life on earth, u will have more jewels in ur crown, and I remember asking myself, why would I want a crown? The whole picture that most of us get isn’t something that would’ve caught my fancy..
And what doesn’t help would also be what is said we would be doing in heaven.. When pastors say that “What u’re doing now in worship is only a rehearsal for what u will do in heaven!!” And, my reaction is one of slight horror.. Boring would be the word I would’ve used for heavenly activities..
Maybe it’s the way, or the general teachings that have been taught over the years.. Where maybe gold and crowns and such were considered items of great value, and though they are still symbols of wealth and power, it no longer has that sort of attractive power on people anymore.. Though, the alternative to heaven which is hell is quite a bit more unwelcoming..
But if u ask people these days, the answer we get is, “I don’t really care”, “It doesn’t really matter”, “Why would I want to go to heaven? Sounds like a boring place.”.. We used to use the Evangelism Explosion method for evangelism at one point of time, where the questions asked were “Let’s say if u were to die, and God asks u why u should be let in, what would u say?”.. And the answers that I got, mirrored the way I felt when I was younger.. “It really doesn’t matter”..
The “now” has become the focus of people’s attention, the “now” that u can see and plan for or work towards.. Afterlife is such an abstract thing, and since we don’t see it, we don’t really care too much about it..
What changed for me was my perception of life after death.. Instead of all the “things” that we’ve been told about it, the different descriptions from people or books.. A sudden revelation that hit me was during a worship session, one of those times that u “feel” God, His love and His presence.. And for that moment, everything felt like it was gonna be okay.. And that, that was the best place to be.. U felt safe, secure, at home.. And the thought came to my mind about spending eternity with God then, that whatever I felt for those moments would be multiplied by a million times, and that, that would be a permanent “state of being”.. And, imagine feeling at ease and at home ALL the time, safe, comforted, 24/7.. And I thought to myself, nothing could be better than that..
But to those who have yet to come into an encounter with God, how would they know then, that there is more than just golden streets and pearly gates.. And I think maybe we also do need to look into how we talk about heaven, so that it doesn’t become just a better alternative to hell..
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Yes Tab, not many people are so eager to get to heaven...everyone wants to enjoy life here on planet earth and hopefully to live a life like "heaven on earth"! That's why it really doesn't matter to many. People don't talk about it either. People are so caught up with the busy life on earth. Most people would only wonder about heaven (or where they are really going?) when they are in a near death experience or when they are entering their golden years. The only times I heard heaven being preached is during evangelistic meetings and memorial services. Otherwise, it's hardly mentioned at all in church or elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteI concur. I grew up with such an outlook of heaven and the children church song "heaven is a wonderful place". But unlike you, I bought into the whole thing without question. Until much later when I secretly hope heaven is more than just that. Life's too good now to want heaven. I have friends and youth that said "I hope God doesn't come back so soon, I want to get married first".
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I think changes in society has caused us to rethink our theology of heaven. Many people today focus on the here and now. The kingdom of God is here (not just later). God came to give you abundant life now (not just a pass to heaven). Has people really rediscovered a deeper significance and meaning about going to heaven or has theology changed with time? I really wonder.
What is heaven really like? It's not even our final destination. What is eternity like? I can't help but want to imagine. Because if it's nothing to shout about.... no wonder the anticipation for Christ's return has waned.
But like you Tab, my assurance and comfort is in knowing that heaven will be safety without fear; peace without anxiety, love without dissension; etc. And that everything is going to be okay now that God is here.
What you've said has cause me to ponder for awhile and think about the place heaven. It may not be like what many describe it to be that is a place with golden streets, a place of many mansions and where we can sing praises to the Lord all day long. If heaven is described as a wonderful place where there is no longer pain and suffering then I can't help to think that many people will give an affirmative "Yes" of the want to go to heaven. Yet what matters to many people and as pointed out by you is the here and "now." I had an interesting conversation with a man the other day and one of the many things that he spoke about in the conversation is that we don't need to wait to get to heaven after we die. We can experience heaven here on earth. This man believes in what is called, self-discovery, which is to discover the beauty in ourselves and live according to the "beauty" that we have discovered about ourselves. I find what he says to be absurd considering the fact that I know that the Holy Spirit resides in me, but if I was not Christian I could have bought his argument and find it to be convincingly right. This is specifically so if I am seeking to escape from my past and discover the new meaning in life which only the words of peace that a renowned speaker can offer me. Do we need peace in us? Certainly. The picture of heaven has been painted many times as a place of beauty and bliss. It is the destination that we are working towards. This however does not mean that we neglect our duties and commission from God to do good to others and practice the principles of His Word. People may find, as you've said heaven to be something that is abstract and beyond imagination but "heaven on earth" is possible. As Christians, by helping others, standing up against injustice and loving the unworthy we are adding value to the lives of others and it may not surprise us that from our kind gestures and acts, people utter the one-liner, I have experienced "heaven on earth" because so and so blessed me and so forth.
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