Have I mentioned how much we love our new church community? We do. And it's for so many reasons.
We decided to go to Lessons and Carols on Christmas Eve. There were nine readings with carols sung by the choir and congregation in between each one. There was also a sermon and the Eucharist celebrated. But what really stuck out to me was the reading from Isaiah 11 about wolves laying down with lambs, etc. It's a passage that I've read many times and we even have an olive wood carving of a lion and lamb snuggling each other, but as I reread "The infant will play near the hole of the cobra and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of YHWH as the waters cover the sea." (Is 11:8-9)
I was struck by this vision of Heaven that includes every creature being redeemed. I love that in Heaven (wherever and whatever that is) it's okay to play with snakes, wolves and other predatory creatures. And maybe this even extends past animals to those humans we think unredeemable - people who we are so quick to judge because they go against what we think is moral or those who have committed unthinkable crimes.
Before you rush in and say, "Of course they can be redeemed - all they have to do is accept Jesus as their Savior," know that what I'm really positing is that maybe Heaven is for everyone, whether they want it or not, whether they even know about it or not - no matter what God they follow or if they choose not to believe in God at all.
Of course this raises many more questions:
Maybe Heaven looks nothing like we've ever imagined it?
Maybe I'm a complete universalist who can't tear myself away from Christianity?
What is salvation really? When does it begin and what does it look like?
Why pursue good things if we just end up in Heaven anyway?
I'd love to hear other people's thoughts on this stuff, so go ahead and comment or send me an email if you want to.
6 comments:
Ok, sooo, since you said feel free to comment...
First, I don't think "judging" is wrong. There are many passages throughout the Gospels where we are told to judge... "don't cast pearls before swine", etc. I think the "judging" that we are warned against is actually "condemning" or acting like THE final judge, (i.e. Rose has a horrible taste in music and is beyond redemption... just kidding, I kind of liked Peter Bjorn and John).
As far as Heaven goes... I've never been in the "accept Jesus as your savior" camp. I tend to think that Jesus did all we need to do for redemption. And I understand that points me in the direction of universalism (everyone goes to Heaven) which is a dangerous theological position. And that was a big problem for me. But one of the scholars I (and much of the world) most respect is N.T. Wright. He did a series of videos that you can even find on YouTube and he addresses that and similar questions. Basically, his view is, and while he admits he doesn't have all the answers, he feels there are/will be people he want to reject being made in God's image, they want to reject any sort of connection to God, and in so doing, become something other than human. He believes very much that what we do in this life is incredibly important, but he believes that rejection of God, and ourselves as humans happens on a very deep level. I can agree with that theology. Check out the videos. Here's a link to the one on this topic... http://tiny.cc/NTWright
I'm happy you had a great Christmas, I hope your New Year is even better.
oh rosie, good questions. i don't know what i think about heaven - a big part of me just doesn't believe in it. (don't tell my gma, though!) let me know if you come to any more conclusions. we all need all the insight we can get!
Oh Rosie, its good to see someone else struggle with this. I constantly wonder this and feel so guilty about it.
Hey there :) Don't mind me randomly stalking your blog, I subscribe! (you probably don't remember me at all, I visited Philly years ago in a van with my friends and all our kids).
I am so grateful that you posted this, I can't even tell you how happy this makes me. I have started a journey asking questions that I never thought I would ever ask! Exactly what you have written is something that I have started trying to understand. Asking questions and having doubt isn't exactly embraced around these parts (in fact, they might stone me if they find out :)
It really brings me comfort to know there are others who are working through the same stuff. Thanks for sharing.
Happy New Year and congrats on the coming new baby :)
Hi Rose! I just had a delightful few minutes catching up on your blog and sharing baby dreams with you vicariously! I'm so excited for the two of you, and so excited to find out that your wee one is a girl!
Anyway, Happy Christmas, Happy New Year and all that.
Well, you probably know what I think about all this stuff, but since you asked... Dave always says that I WANT to be a universalist, and it's true that I lean heavily in that direction. I think I could be one if I had never visited Romania and had the evil of Caucescu's communist regime seared into my psyche. I think I'm kind of with NT Wright that some (very, very few) people do seem to turn their back on their own humanity and "image-bearing-ness", and perhaps those people really are separated from God for eternity. I do NOT believe in Eternal Damnation (I'm sorry, but how could that possibly bring glory to our Creator?) but I guess I could buy the idea of Annihilation or Purgatory (not in the strict Catholic sense--I don't think we all have to go through it, just maybe those who reject the Divine after seeing "face to face"). Blah, blah, blah, I DON"T KNOW! I don't really think about it all that much, but I do think it's good to think about occasionally. Mostly, I believe that the Kingdom of Heaven was inaugurated at the Incarnation, and that we can participate in it NOW! I DO get a bit excited about THAT part of it!
Sending love, and I'm curious, where are you attending church these days? It sounds great--makes me miss the liturgy!
Hey Rosie! Sounds like a Richard tough questions session to me! Seriously though, keep asking for truth on these things.
Sorry we couldn't hang out this week, by the time we hang out next I won't be sick, and you will have had your baby! YEAH!
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