I don’t have a comprehensive view or description of Heaven. Jesus said He’s preparing a place for us, and that’s good enough for me. But I do have a lot of questions.
Jesus and me? We are just fine. We talk a lot. I mess up a lot. He loves me a lot. I do my best to love Him – and everybody He loves. Even when questions about the traditional “cornerstones of faith” loom large, my faith in the One who loves me most is strong, clear, solid.
This is, in part, because I’ve come to the simple conclusion that I just don’t know is a perfectly good answer to many of the hard questions.
Unfortunately, the spiritual climate of the world has been more than unpredictable – storms rage often and wildly. Lightning bolts of hate and cruelty crack and explode on a regular basis, including the heartbreaking “You can’t possibly be a Christian if …
… you don’t agree with me” … or
… you believe this and not that” … or
… you’re falling for that.”
And my I just don’t know is usually greeted with a dismissive the Bible is clear. I do fight the tendency to be just as judgmental. Usually.
When the discussion turns to Heaven, I’m not so sure about streets of gold, but can we agree that poverty will never show its face? And there’s no trace of white supremacy, greed, pride, cruelty, or dishonesty?
What I never noticed? There aren’t two sides.
No. We will not be waiting, with bated breath and an unhealthy dose of cockiness, for God to post the results. We’ll not search the list for who’s in and who’s out, who scored the highest and who scored lower than me? And we will not be the slightest bit interested in discovering His thoughts about guns or LGBTQ+ or trans or abortion or covered heads or Republicans or Democrats.
There’s no big holy playing field with Team Red on one side, Team Blue on the other.
conservatives vs liberals
pretribulation vs post
predestination vs free will
my church vs yours
my doubts vs anyone’s certainty
Those who love Jesus will not be divided.
No one will celebrate a WIN! No fingers pointing, dripping with I told you so.
With no apology or bravado, I say this: I’ll be there because I heard and believed the gospel, the story of Jesus, His life, death, and resurrection. I heard and I believed. I still do.
But as far as what about those in the world who have never heard? I just don’t know.
As far as those who believe that bearing arms or bodily autonomy is a God-given right? I just don’t know.
Or those who question who should love whom or when life begins? I just don’t know.
Or what Hell is like – if there is a Hell. Honestly, I just don’t know.
My lovelies, I just do not know. I don’t have to.
So, once again, this clears up absolutely nothing, but as always, I pray for you
Nancy Burton Wolfe 