Some say heaven is a place. Others say heaven is a state of being.
If you grew up in the 80s, and listened to pop singer Belinda Carlisle, you know that “heaven is a place on Earth.”
With much symbolism, the Book of Revelation describes heaven as a place, somewhere “out there”: “The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made from a single pearl; and the street of the city was of pure gold, transparent as glass.” (Rev 21:21)
Meanwhile, Doctor of the Church Saint Catherine of Siena asserts that “all the way to heaven is heaven.”
So, what is heaven, and where is it?
Is it a place, a state of being, or a journey?
Or is it all of the above?
These are important questions to consider, because our answer to them will determine the quality of our experience while we live as embodied souls on Earth.
Many people, but not all, who identify as religious spend their brief time here on Earth focused on where they are going when they die, all the while missing out on the unique ecstasy of life as a sensory being on this planet.
They might miss out on mindfully enjoying the gift of eating a juicy peach or dancing their fool heads off, because they believe all bodily pleasure is evil and needs to be controlled.
Their actions, beliefs and worldviews are centered around Earth being a troubled but necessary stopping point on the way to their permanent destination up in the ethers somewhere, where there will be no more suffering.
Some of them even believe that since their stay here is temporary, there is no reason to protect the planet or the varied species that live here. In their minds, it is all disposable.
In my mind, it is all a gift.
A vibrant gift of magnificent diversity and intricacy that has the potential to teach us of the endlessly intelligent and creative heart of our Creator.
When Catherine of Siena says that “all the way to heaven is heaven,” she speaks a profound truth.
We don’t have to wait for heaven to get an idea of what heaven is like. We can live each day with a sense of awe at life’s grand majesty and minuscule details and everything in between as a foretaste of what’s to come.
Our brief time here on Earth is a wildly fantastic opportunity to experience glimmers of the indescribable beauty and love that is God, all the while engaging with life through the heart of Christ, in which we live and move and have our being.
St. Francis of Assisi was a masterful teacher and role model in this way of life. While he bore the stigmata and did self-flagellate – a not uncommon 13th century religious practice – his ultimately gentle spirituality inspired the “Canticle of Creation,” which sings the praises of all of God’s works. The Canticle of Creation references “Brother Son and Sister Moon,” “Brothers Wind and Air,” “Sister Water,” “Brother Fire,” “Sister Earth, our Mother,” and “Sister Death.”
We don’t have to live our lives on Earth in a constant state of suspicion of the threats with which we think the world seeks to destroy us, as some believe. When we do that, we forfeit this big gift wrapped in a fancy bow that has been given to us by God himself.
Rather, we can live our lives with trust and confidence in the promises of Christ – that when our own life situations get stormy and tumultuous, the words from Psalm 23 hold perennially true.
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want;
he makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters;
he restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil,
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
SPIRIT MATTERS is a weekly column by Jerrilyn Zavada Novak that examines experiences common to the human spirit. Contact her at jzblue33@yahoo.com.