Imagine There's No Heaven

I recently read a book in which the author suggested that the new Jerusalem in Revelation 21 is not an eternal resting place, but a description of Christ's bride, the body of His believers. The author's concept of Heaven is a renewed earth; one that is brighter and more beautiful because it has been freed from the shadow of evil.

Although the description of the new Jerusalem sounds like a place to me, complete with dimensions and building materials, I'm willing to accept new possibilities of what might be. After all, St. Augustine conjectured that the universe may exist only in the mind of God and that time does not exist at all. Admitting possibilities like these and acknowledging that we don't have all the answers makes existence more interesting.

Heaven seems more real if I picture it being on this earth. Everything would be familiar, but better than what we're used to. Frankly, I like this picture a lot more than the one where I imagine myself going up, somewhere, to live in an unimaginable place.

Maybe this is because I think Earth could hardly be improved on. Oh, cars and roads and other results of the curse would have to go, but nature itself, what was here to begin with, is ideal. If Chestnut Hill with it's lilacs in blossom, indigo buntings and bluebirds was my eternal home I would be satisfied.

Of course, some fantastical changes would be fun. Rivers flowing with diamonds rather than water. Flowers big enough to sleep in. Seven multi colored moons, that sort of thing.

Oh, and flying. Not the Clarence-the-angel, flap flap, I got my wings kind of flying, but the soaring/floating/hovering of my dreams. Running a short distance, jumping up and off the ground, touching down like a plane, trying again and at last gently lifting. Barely making it over the trees then getting more air under me, being pushed higher and higher to float stilly with the trees far below.

Maybe everyone's Heaven will be a little different. Maybe it will exist only in my mind. If that's the case I won't need streets of gold, because I'm going to fly.