So ... In order to offset popular evangelical theology and some great old timey music both of which tend to emphasize the consolation of dying and going to heaven,(click here and here and here and here and keep clicking), we often tell our kids that quite the opposite direction and a very different hope is actually suggested by the scriptures.
If we do in fact 'die and go to heaven' it is far from clear what that means (the intermediate state is pretty fuzzy in the scriptures) and that is far from the end of the story.
In a much more fitting end to the creation story that includes the Christian narrative of total redemption, we will be raised from the dead and the New Jerusalem will come down out of heaven and the dwelling place of God (heaven) will be with men (on earth).
I'm not making this up, it's all in John's Revelation.
But Anna came up with this yesterday: "When you die, does heaven come down just to you, or do you wait until everybody in the world is dead?"
So then we talked about what Paul might mean by "being with the Lord" and about the general Resurrection and how "we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed." And what a great opportunity to talk about the unity of the body and our common hope in Christ.
And I realized we needed to have this conversation at the dinner table with all of us.
Creation, Fall, Redemption. Raising your kids in the Christian story is great.
2 comments:
Good question, Anna. Good answers, Papa. I would like to be at the dinner table discussion, I really would. I have a fwe questions myself.
Just for the record, Anna asked me first. I said, "That's a great question. Why don't you ask your Papa!"
Jen
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