Heaven?
Though they say they do, I don't think that most people really want Heaven. I think people generally want Heaven only in the sense that it is a physical oasis of comfort and pleasure. See, it seems most people think this paradise will be some kind of isolated retreat for themselves and the few people they care to get along with. And so, what they are actually longing for is not Heaven at all, but a materialistic and/or selfish mirage that they will never find. The very foundation of Heaven is peace with God and peace with all other people. If you move from the foundation, you move from Heaven. If you do not desire to dance with a redeemed Osama Bin Laden, or dine with a restored Adolph Hitler, or hold hands with a reborn George W. Bush, or share a joke with a forgiven Judas Iscariot (or whatever person with whom you suffer differences), then you don't actually want Heaven (and you can't finish the Lord's Prayer, either).
The funny thing is, many of us will say, "Well, I know that I am certainly willing to live with all other people, so long as God is there and everyone is acting in His character." But are we open to that now, here on the earth? Or do we use this bit about "everyone acting in His character" to justify rejecting people, not out of any real character difference but rather because of a mere personality or circumstantial difference? Do we freely let people into our lives? Do we freely share our wealth and other blessings with the rest of the world?
The glorious truth is that the real and coming Heaven is a place where everyone is loved by everyone. There won't be a lack of comfort, but if there were, everyone would give sacrificially to amend the situation. We ought to desire and seek such a place.
The funny thing is, many of us will say, "Well, I know that I am certainly willing to live with all other people, so long as God is there and everyone is acting in His character." But are we open to that now, here on the earth? Or do we use this bit about "everyone acting in His character" to justify rejecting people, not out of any real character difference but rather because of a mere personality or circumstantial difference? Do we freely let people into our lives? Do we freely share our wealth and other blessings with the rest of the world?
The glorious truth is that the real and coming Heaven is a place where everyone is loved by everyone. There won't be a lack of comfort, but if there were, everyone would give sacrificially to amend the situation. We ought to desire and seek such a place.