Heaven and Hell
Written by Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski
“The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. ”
Where is God? Too many people believe that God hangs out in a heaven that is far away, beyond the universe. Diana Butler Bass, in her book, "Grounded,” attempts to address this issue. Bass believes that God is not elsewhere, only to be experienced when we die. No, God is ever-present, with us here on earth. Bass makes the point, “But we now live in a theologically flattened world-we have discovered that we are fully capable of creating the terrors of hell right here and no longer need a lake of fire to prove the existence of evil-and we have found that the ranks of saints and angels seem to have thinned and that no deity will be sending miracles to fix the mess we are in.”
Amidst her despairing words, Bass continues with hope, “If hell has moved in next door to us, perhaps heaven has as well.” Rock musicians will tell you it is easier to write about angst and despair, than it is to write a love song. The same is true in recognizing heaven and hell. Hell, with its angst and despair, is easy to spot. Heaven is a little more elusive and requires faithful searching. Yet, what joy one feels, amidst the filth of hell on earth, is to glimpse the reality of heaven.
Today, spend just a short time on the hell around you. Anyone who has seen battle has seen hell’s presence on earth. Anyone who has experienced abuse has seen hell’s presence on earth. Hell’s reach is nearly endless. Yet, heaven’s reach is endless. The Creator of this universe, the one who redeemed this world from hell, and the one who sustains us, is more powerful than our present hell. It is vital that we never forget this fact. We cannot fully understand the great questions of life, like why hell is allowed to exist. It is not for us to know. Our task, is to worship and honor the God who continues to bring heaven to earth, redeeming and restoring us for all eternity. Hold fast to this reality the next time you must experience hell, and remember, hell has no hold over us. Heaven is our true home!
