Thrill of Heaven?
What amusement does heaven contain? In a world that defines entertainment in conflict, it’s sometimes hard to fathom pleasure in a world without pain. Think about it. Some of the greatest amusements in the United States are watching movies and sports and riding roller coasters. In movies and games, it appears the greater the struggle the greater the thrill, right? Without conflict would a movie or game be as great? Isn't the amusement of a roller coaster the exhilaration of facing your fear? If heaven is a place with no fear, pain or conflict, then on the surface it seems a rather boring place.
It's not difficult, therefore, to see why the world likes hell more than heaven. The non-Christian pictures heaven as sitting on a cloud strumming a harp. In one episode of the Simpsons, Homer pictures himself in heaven lying on a cloud that looks like a medical bed. He raises and lowers the bed repeatedly “cloud goes up, cloud goes down” he says over and over again. Contrast that with the worlds understanding of Hell. Hell isn't the place of torment that the bible describes. Instead, it’s the party place. It's a place with all the exhilarating vices that we find here on earth.
I'm sad to say the church hasn't given an all together different picture. If you ask the average Christian what will heaven be like they'll probably say something like its worshipping God before his throne continuously throughout all eternity. Certainly there is a sense of excitement in this. But "for all eternity." I don't know about you but even I get board in church. So what is the thrill of heaven?
How should Christians respond to a world that scorns the notion of a perfect world? I believe we must recognize that the thrill of heaven is the same thrill we experience when we watch a great movie, read a good book, watch an incredible game, or ride the scariest of rides. Am I saying that in heaven there will be a place of pain, suffering and conflict? Absolutely not. I'm saying pain, suffering and conflict isn't the source of entertainment. Experience informs us that the greatest of stories are nothing more than challenging riddles in narrative form. “What’s going to happen next? Will the guy get the girl? How will he or she survive? Will the team make another touchdown? The questions compel us to turn a page or sit through another commercial. Discovery, not conflict, is the essence of amusement. And what does heaven have to offer us more than discovery? Heaven is the grand unveiling of all the mysteries and questions of life. It’s the throne of he who is the creator of mystery and riddle. Hell, in contrast to heaven, is a place of the unanswerable question. It’s the place where pain, suffering and torment never come to an end. Have you ever had a question that you thought you knew but the answer simply alluded you. “It’s on the tip of my tongue” you’ve probably said or have heard someone say. Hell is like that question. But on a much greater scale. It nags and frustrates but never comes to an end.
It's not difficult, therefore, to see why the world likes hell more than heaven. The non-Christian pictures heaven as sitting on a cloud strumming a harp. In one episode of the Simpsons, Homer pictures himself in heaven lying on a cloud that looks like a medical bed. He raises and lowers the bed repeatedly “cloud goes up, cloud goes down” he says over and over again. Contrast that with the worlds understanding of Hell. Hell isn't the place of torment that the bible describes. Instead, it’s the party place. It's a place with all the exhilarating vices that we find here on earth.
I'm sad to say the church hasn't given an all together different picture. If you ask the average Christian what will heaven be like they'll probably say something like its worshipping God before his throne continuously throughout all eternity. Certainly there is a sense of excitement in this. But "for all eternity." I don't know about you but even I get board in church. So what is the thrill of heaven?
How should Christians respond to a world that scorns the notion of a perfect world? I believe we must recognize that the thrill of heaven is the same thrill we experience when we watch a great movie, read a good book, watch an incredible game, or ride the scariest of rides. Am I saying that in heaven there will be a place of pain, suffering and conflict? Absolutely not. I'm saying pain, suffering and conflict isn't the source of entertainment. Experience informs us that the greatest of stories are nothing more than challenging riddles in narrative form. “What’s going to happen next? Will the guy get the girl? How will he or she survive? Will the team make another touchdown? The questions compel us to turn a page or sit through another commercial. Discovery, not conflict, is the essence of amusement. And what does heaven have to offer us more than discovery? Heaven is the grand unveiling of all the mysteries and questions of life. It’s the throne of he who is the creator of mystery and riddle. Hell, in contrast to heaven, is a place of the unanswerable question. It’s the place where pain, suffering and torment never come to an end. Have you ever had a question that you thought you knew but the answer simply alluded you. “It’s on the tip of my tongue” you’ve probably said or have heard someone say. Hell is like that question. But on a much greater scale. It nags and frustrates but never comes to an end.
posted by Matthew Miller at 9:07 PM
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