The worst question in heaven
Friday August 17, 2007
Categories: Faith
I was having lunch with a brilliant friend who also happens to be a wonderful storyteller. He is a philosopher and a lawyer and a Catholic. What, he asked me, is the question I would least like to hear from...
Filed Under: heaven
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I do, but I like algebra. I might also be on the Asperger spectrum.
Yeah - like do you remember that night in 10th grade........?
Why didn't you have enough faith in me to try harder to do the things you knew were right? Why didn't you believe in me enough to know I would give the strength you needed?
"Why did you talk better than you lived?"
That one is truly terrifying.
Guys, guys, God forgives - we are human and can't "do" our way to heaven. We need to relax a bit and trust that God will be in our lives however poorly we live it out. Having faith is about that awareness and trust that the presence of God will transform our very way of being - if we abandon, vengeance, anger, and the need to be powerful and correct. I sometimes think that need to be "right" is what makes us so very unChristlike. I believe Jesus gave up such things when tempted. And we embrace them again and again. The time in the desert is always so hard because we think that we can comehow get out of it on our own. We can't. Jesus takes us out of the desert times - and doesn't point a finger and say "I told you so." That's the sort of thing we do. It is in the desert that we can abandon ourselves and embrace the love of God. We become courageous after leaving the desert, but we can't be afraid of being there. It's part of the human journey.
"Are you ready to show everyone in Heaven that videotape of your entire life like the Bible talks about?"
Dakota - I must have missed that verse...
I thought terrorizing was what Hell was all about. Once we get that far, I don't think there will be terrorizing treatment. Considering speeding trains, there should be plenty of time to learn all the math in the world in heaven (some of my math loving friends actually enjoy solving those kinds of problems.)
If God asks me embarrassing questions, I'll say, "I was a fleshly schmuck. I'm only here because of Your grace and mercy."
Almost fell out of my chair on that last one, as if the math problem wasn't funny enough! Thanks for the smile, David.
John E.- I once misheard my pastor talking about God knowing all the thoughts and deeds of every man, thinking he said everyone in Heaven would see them as well. I thought to myself how embarrassing it would be for not only God to know but all of Heaven as well! However, I can still picture myself entering the gates of Heaven and having God ask me that question as a joke, knowing what I thought I heard years before.
I think being asked why I should be let into heaven is frightening enough. I shouldn't be, but I trust that through Christ's redemption I will be.
That said, I think it would definitely be the math. I can think up good answers to just about anything else, but I can't b.s. my way out of math.
Which came first, the chicken or the egghead?
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