No Expectations
I have just received an email from someone (who is clearly in very “deep thinking mode”) asking my views on heaven. He questions the scenario of him being married in this life to a number of different women who all die before him and then when he himself dies, he meets them all at the entrance to the after life. Would chaos ensue, he wonders, or would it just be a very difficult situation where he would have to introduce everyone to everyone else ? Perhaps it would not be difficult at all and they all could “live” happily ever after, together. Would this be heaven ? After all – he loved each one of them at the time he was married to them, so to be with them all must surely be paradise. Or not.
It’s not an easy question. In fact, as it’s the classic basic question humans would like answering, that is – what happens when we die ? – it seems that it is an impossible question. But maybe it is our own interpretation of what we expect to happen that defines our heaven or otherwise.
Some people believe that the best phase happens only after they die and the time that is spent here is in preparation for the future “life”. Others think that they are here now and when this body stops operating, then that’s it – they cease to be, full stop. And there’s people who have a view that is somewhere in between these and a whole combination of other ideas.
I am still out on this one to be honest. My views seem to depend on the day, the weather, whether I missed breakfast or not and who I last spoke to. “My heaven maybe your hell” is my usual response, though I do not claim that this is either an original thought or a very profound one.
But I did reply to the email and I do feel it is an important stance to take, for me anyway.
Does it really matter right now whether I will be going to heaven, hell or nowhere at all? If and when the situation arises, then I will have to deal with it, without preparation, as I am sure is intended. In the meantime I need to concentrate on what I am doing with the present time I have and to expect nothing at all.
If I manage this I think I will have done all that anyone could expect of me.
It’s not an easy question. In fact, as it’s the classic basic question humans would like answering, that is – what happens when we die ? – it seems that it is an impossible question. But maybe it is our own interpretation of what we expect to happen that defines our heaven or otherwise.
Some people believe that the best phase happens only after they die and the time that is spent here is in preparation for the future “life”. Others think that they are here now and when this body stops operating, then that’s it – they cease to be, full stop. And there’s people who have a view that is somewhere in between these and a whole combination of other ideas.
I am still out on this one to be honest. My views seem to depend on the day, the weather, whether I missed breakfast or not and who I last spoke to. “My heaven maybe your hell” is my usual response, though I do not claim that this is either an original thought or a very profound one.
But I did reply to the email and I do feel it is an important stance to take, for me anyway.
Does it really matter right now whether I will be going to heaven, hell or nowhere at all? If and when the situation arises, then I will have to deal with it, without preparation, as I am sure is intended. In the meantime I need to concentrate on what I am doing with the present time I have and to expect nothing at all.
If I manage this I think I will have done all that anyone could expect of me.
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