The concept of heaven and hell seems awfully old-fashioned and no enlightened European would believe in it anymore. In fact even Christians find it hard to countenance the notion that such places exist and are duly apologetic when the topic comes up, for example through a particular scripture reading. And yet there is a certain tenacity in which the words linger on in daily speech: “I went trough hell” is a common expression to indicate that life was terrible, ugly, difficult or the like. Similarly the word “paradise” (another word for heaven) is regularly used when speaking of holiday locations, especially when they are palm-tree lined, sunny and tranquil places. Could it be that our post-modern minds refuse to believe what our bodies and souls tell us? Could it be that our instincts confirm a certain reality but post-Christian propaganda has made it impossible to acknowledge it?
Almost daily we encounter places and situations that are hellish: relationships which have gone totally awry, behaviour of people which belies any sense of decency, abuse or suffering which defy any logic. Whether it be prisons in the UK where hopelessness reigns or the existence of children soldiers in northern Uganda, we don’t find it difficult to acknowledge that these things are evil. It is not right, it is bad, hell on earth. Somehow we feel that children, human beings, we ourselves were not intended to live like that. Something is twisted, out of balance, deeply wrong.
On the other hand, though perhaps more rarely, we all encounter situations which are not just beautiful and moving, but where somehow we seem to touch another world: a sunrise on a beautiful summer day; a conversation with a dear friend; a selfless act which leaves us speechless. In all these instances we catch glimpses of something unreal, otherworldly, holy.
So what is heaven, and what is hell? Christians, in spite persistent belief of many to the contrary, do not think of heaven as a place, a physical location “somewhere over the rainbow”. Heaven is the place where God dwells, and thus by definition it is beyond space and time. We believe that when this world comes to an end, it will be swallowed up by the presence of God. Heaven will come down to earth, the Bible tells us, and God will be fully present for all to see and experience. And where God is, there will no longer be any suffering, sickness, pain or misery. In that sense Christians hope and long for the day when they will be “in heaven”. But heaven is not just something for the afterlife, something one hopes for and takes as consolation while one struggles through life. Heaven and the presence of God can be tasted here and now. God is not a clockmaker far away waiting for the world to be wound up; he is involved and present in this world through his spirit. And this is why when we have experiences as described above, we touch, whether we know it or not, God and his presence. In other words, we experience something of heaven.
And what about hell? Is it physical place with little devils stoking eternal fires? The place to start if we want to grasp the Christian understanding of this concept is to remember that God made man free to choose. Each one of us is therefore free to decide how he lives his life, including whether he wants anything to do with God. This choice does not end with death, it extends into all eternity. If we opt to have a life without God, that is what we will get. But while here on earth a life without God is only partially possible, since God still sustains the universe and blesses it with sunshine, beauty and life, in the afterlife there will be the antithesis to heaven: instead of experiencing the fullness of God’s love and presence there will be the chance to be without any of that, completely. That state is called hell, and rightly so, because it will be terrible in its horror, lifelessness and brutality. And only those who have chosen will end up in that state.
The famous writer C.S. Lewis once said that every choice we make during our lives takes us a step closer to either heaven or hell, since it must be a choice either for or against God and his ways. Whether we believe it or not, the reality of heaven and hell is working itself out even as I write this. Maybe it would be smart to start believing in this reality and to begin living accordingly?
