One of the reasons I believe that religion has lost its grip on the popular imagination is the refusal of religious leaders to discuss Heaven and Hell. We have lost the desire for Heaven and the fear of Hell. How can you be surprised? The image of heaven is a bunch of cherubs sitting on clouds and strumming harps. The image of Hell is one of a creature with horns and a red flannel suit scorching people by fire. The first seems hopelessly boring and the latter is too comic to be scary. It is a scandal that these are the prevailing visions of the afterlife. No wonder people say, "I don't care if I go to Hell, all my friends will be there" Was it not Billy Joel who said I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints, the sinners are much more fun?
My objection to this attitude is that it has tragic consequences in THIS world. First of all, the hope of an afterlife is not an escape hatch for the problems of the world. The hope of Heaven is designed to give you strength to make the current world a better place. After all, a person who believes that he is truly immortal is much more likely to stand up to the princes who are despoiling this world. How can they hurt us if we are going to live forever? This should have real world consequences in this life. But I am going to dare to take it farther. I am going to dare to say that we all have experienced Heaven in this life. I will also dare to say that we have all experienced Hell. And I will triple dare state that our decisions involving other people, including our political decisions , are the major factor whether we experience Heaven or Hell on earth.
I believe we experience Heaven on Earth when we are in the company and experiencing the love of other people. Think about your most incredible joyous experience. Were you not in the presence of other people? Perhaps it was at a party. Or you were with your family. Or alone with your loved one. Or, especially in the service of others. All of these things have the same thing in common: we were feeling so much love and giving so much love to someone else that we forgot about ourselves! I am going to go out on a limb and say that these experiences are times you at least tasted a tiny part of Heaven.
If there is a Heaven, there must be a Hell. Yes, we have been there also. Every time you have been there you have been alone. I am not talking about peaceful solitude. (Nor am I talking about those people who are downright hellish to be with!). I am talking about Loneliness. Heartbreak. Hatred. And, especially that one deadly sin that does not even bring us cheap pleasure, and that is ENVY. How many times have you sat alone, plotting revenge on your neighbor? Or just feeling jealous? Or just feeling downright miserable. All alone, just you and your miserable hate-filled thoughts to keep you company. Welcome to Hell, brother.
What does this have to do with politics? well, I doubt the politicians ability to bring Heaven on earth , but they can sure bring Hell. War. Poverty. Famine. Disease. Genocide. Racism. Hatred. And what is the one thing they have in common? The worship of the self and the fear and hatred of your neighbor. Yes, Hell. Hell for you and Hell for your neighbor. Wage war on your neighbor. Neglect him. Vilify him. All because I am better that him. Because I am afraid of him. Maybe I just don't like him! To Hell with him. So off to hell he goes, in thousands of evil ways. Divide and conquer has been the successful strategy of many a politician. But what the pols don't tell you is the Hell they put you in. You can't enjoy your things because you might lose them. Someone might take it from you! Kinda hard to love your neighbor when he might take your job. The world is a dangerous place! Look out for number one! Yep, Hell can be that deathbed in the hospital, all alone, your toys far away. Maybe at that time you pray to God to take you to Heaven. Maybe he grants your request. But wouldn't it been better not to have spent your time on earth in the prison of the self? Or forcing people to become selfish just to defend themselves from you?
I'm going to take my dare even farther. I am going to speculate what Heaven is like after we die. I have taken most, if not all, of my ideas from spiritual writers. Why not? Why not speculate about this glorious place called Heaven in glorious communion with others? Certainly not by myself! Are you ready? Here goes! Heaven and Hell will be very recognizable to us. They will look like the world. If fact there will just be one thing different in each place. Heaven will be the world without sin. Hell will be the world without love. I will write further about my musings about Heaven and Hell in another post. But first I want you to contemplate my two little ideas. And maybe, just maybe, you will feel the same hope that is now surging within me. Maybe, just maybe we can share it.
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