Twitter
IdenticaThe day Heaven came to earth
May 23rd, 2011
Photo by Slideshow Bruce CC:By
So everybody knows that Harold Camping was wrong, the rapture didn’t happen and I got to watch Doctor Who after all but even so the whole scenario has got me thinking about heaven again. Camping predicted that on Saturday 21 May the process of Heaven coming to earth would begin. He chose to focus on judgement, scaremongering and some kind of divine favouritism (as he has done before) but was he so wrong about Heaven coming to earth?
I think Heaven did come to earth last weekend. It didn’t come with earthquake and rapture but it came. It does every day and we who are aware of it are sometimes guilty of keeping it to ourselves. Allow me to explain.
- Heaven came to earth when people came together in friendship in a world of enemies
- Heaven came to earth when those who were heavy with tears were, for a moment, given a chance to smile without feeling bad about it
- Heaven came to earth when those who are having a rough time were able to share with each other and gain strength from it
- Heaven came to earth when people were able to serve each other without condition or alterior motive
- Heaven came to earth when people sang, prayed, worshipped, laughed, cried, hugged and played together
- Heaven came to earth when candles were lit and memories were shared
- Heaven came to earth when silence was permitted and hands were held
- Heaven came to earth when God was spoken of, remembered and invited
- Heaven came to earth when evil was overcome with good
- Heaven came to earth when doors were open and meals were shared
- Heaven came to earth when generosity overcame selfishness
- Heaven came to earth when the church-stuff was not allowed to interfere with church
Yes I am aware that some of that will have happened outside of church – in fact it has to – but I believe that every good and perfect gift comes from the Father above. Sadly we must also remember that for each of those situations there were times when hell came to earth as well (and too often within churches) but as Christians we have a chance every day to bring Heaven to earth and to bring earth to Heaven.
How about today?
Update: 17 Apr 2013
So it’s nearly two years since I wrote this and today I came across this poem written (and here performed) by Jo Dolby. As soon as I heard it I thought of this post so here it is.
Tags: Christianity, Faith, Heaven, Life
Like this post? Here are some similar ones...
- Grace and optimism – lottery winners pay for a new leg
- Kieran Maxwell is a 13 year old from Scotland who lost the lower half of one leg to Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer, in October 2010. Kieran captured hearts when he fell but picked himself up carrying the Olympic torch in July 2012. His family had been saving and fundraising for
- Evangelism
- A short while ago I was told I am very evangelical. This was not a reference to a political or theological stance (as the word Evangelical – note the capitalisation – appears to mean these days) but to the fact that when I find something I like or I think is good I won’t shut
- How ever will the church survive?
- It was the work, not the movement which changed the world. And it wasn’t the wise people at the top who did the work nor the wiser people in the middle. It wasn’t even the rest of the people. It was all of the people who did it. There was no special requirement, no training
May 23rd, 2011 at 15:02
thank you this is lovely
May 28th, 2011 at 22:19
Hiya, Ryan – thanks for adding me to your blog roll. Sorry to be a pain but I as you know I’ve moved my blog – it is now at revdlesley.net – would you be willing to change the link?
Thanks for helping me with WP by the way…
L x
May 29th, 2011 at 1:47
Hi Lesley, Sorry about that. Should be all fixed now.