The Bigger Picture

I've noticed a trend with the ideas of heaven and hell and I don't want to waste any time with anecdotes or preface. The reason I wrote about both heaven and hell and what I see as misconceptions of both is that I feel both of these issues come down to control.

The pictures of heaven and hell are presented with a fair amount of clarity in Scripture. Both are described in detail and at first glance, it would be easy to see the validity of the traditional and literal interpretation of both places. However, when you dig further, many inconsistencies arise in the descriptions. While I don't want to take away from the inspiration of scripture, I do want you to notice a personal bias or way to describe each place. Whether OT or NT, there are varied interpretations of what both places will be like.

This is important because there is a bigger picture to see. One of joy and one of sorrow, of completion and deletion. Strip away the varied descriptions and this is what you are left with. But we don't leave it there. We add to it. We emphasize the pain, the sorrow, the fire. We focus on mansions, gold, no tears.

Control. We expedite the process. We want the finished product. So we rush people. We force our hand and show our cards out of fear, out of concern, but also out of a need for control. We have created a negative spiral and we continue down this path because we know nothing other than what was presented to us. But as we do this, we miss the bigger picture again. What's worse, we can often do more damage, albeit unintentional.

This "pushing" of our heaven and hell agenda can and will lead to premature decisions. Decisions based on fear, based on many things, but too often not based on a relationship with Christ. When we turn the focus off of Christ and put it back on ourselves we exercise our need to control.

I'm not claiming omniscience. I don't know what conversions are real and what aren't. But I've seen enough people walking around with a false sense of righteousness believing they are "safe from hell" but have no clue as to what a relationship with Christ is. I've been one of these people. I know them well.

It's the relationship that is important. It's a process that I can play a part in. But it's not my place to try and force my hand. That is why I believe what I do in regards to heaven and hell. This life is about an opportunity for a personal relationship with our creator, and that relationship doesn't end when my body ends. It's a process that is ongoing and it's not defined by the constructs of heaven and hell that I create.