“God is with us at the most terrible moment of our time. He is not in front to lead, nor behind to push, Not above to protect, but ‘Beside us to guide us, Our God joining.’” –Peter J. Gomes

God’s heart is the first heart broken when someone you love died. He joins us in our grief. God does not mind if we are mad at him.

When I was a kid growing up I remember a few hundred moments when I knew I could not do something. Then someone I trusted said to me, “I’ll show you how, just follow me.” When we face the frailty of our own lives; we realize that death is real; when we are mourning the loss of a loved one, it is then that we realize that Jesus is saying to us you can get through this, just follow me.

In fact, Jesus has gone first and he says, just follow me. Jesus defeated death. He gave us the great present of all, a personal resurrection for you.

The three major religions in the world, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam all teach that there is a heaven. Almost every other religion in the world teaches there is an after life of some kind. We wonder what heaven will be like. Let’s be honest, most of us are not thrilled with the idea of streets of gold and peals for gates since that is so far out of our experience. Many Christians wonder just what we will be doing up there. The idea that it is one long, eternally long, church service is not the least bit attractive. So what will heaven be like?

Heaven is not so much about landscape as it is about presence.

Jesus said he has gone ahead to prepare a place for us.

A place, for you, your own place.

He is there.

Presence not landscape.

He is there.

Many have gone on before you.

They are there.

Presence not landscape.

Inspired by Grievers Ask, Answers to Questions about Death and Loss, by Harold Ivan Smith, chapter 9, page 66.