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When Heaven Becomes Hell

Posted Nov 9 2010 by Jonathan Brink in , , with 30 Comments

A friend of mine recently said to me, “We’re going to be very surprised who we see in heaven.”  The statement got me thinking about a thought exercise, which I want to invite you into.

Imagine for a second that you are standing before the presence of God.  You are IN heaven, per se.  It’s all good for the rest of eternity.  And standing next to you is your worst enemy, someone who has hurt you deeply and often.

What do you say to God?

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About the Author

Jonathan BrinkI am an business development and communications consultant. I am also the senior editor and publisher for Civitas Press. I recently published, Discovering The God Imagination: Reconstructing A Whole, New Christianity. (Civitas, 2011)View all posts by Jonathan Brink →

  • David

    Well, things will be hughly (so much so I don’t think we can even begin to think what it will be like to be in the very presence of a Holy God let alone the great multitude of others) different in heaven so I think we would just put our arms around each other and praise God. rnrnIssue is if thats what haven is like why don’t we do that here ? I think we should, and that’s what it means to love our enemies I think.

    • http://jonathanbrink.com Jonathan Brink

      David, I think you meant to say Holy but I’m not quite sure. But even then, I also wonder if there is more to heaven than just worship. And I agree that earth would look like heaven if we just loved.

  • http://openmindedconversations.blogspot.com/ jshmueller

    Interesting challenge. I can’t say how I would actually feel in that particular moment when I first see my greatest enemy there. All I know is: as I’m thinking about it NOW, it’s not all good. Memories are flooding back in. The scars in my own soul are still there.rnrnAt the same time, I’m also convinced that seeing the visible scars on God would be way more captivating and even heal the memory in such a way that no dissonance or protest could possibly remain. I would see him in a different light, especially when looking at his expression of awe and gratitude in the presence of perfect love and grace, instead of the hate and rejection I used to see in his eyes and receive from him.

    • http://jonathanbrink.com Jonathan Brink

      When you said that I remember thinking of Jesus who still had the scars when he saw his disciples after the resurrection. Makes me think. Hmmm.

  • http://openmindedconversations.blogspot.com/ jshmueller

    Interesting challenge. I can’t say how I would actually feel in that particular moment when I first see my greatest enemy there. All I know is: as I’m thinking about it NOW, it’s not all good. Memories are flooding back in. The scars in my own soul are still there.rnrnAt the same time, I’m also convinced that seeing the visible scars on God would be way more captivating and even heal the memory in such a way that no dissonance or protest could possibly remain. I would see him in a different light, especially when looking at his expression of awe and gratitude in the presence of perfect love and grace, instead of the hate and rejection I used to see in his eyes and receive from him.

  • http://openmindedconversations.blogspot.com/ jshmueller

    Oh … what would I say to God?rnProbably nothing related to the one standing next to me at all. If I’d be able to speak at all – which I doubt – it would be a rather quiet and broken “Thank You!” through many tears.

    • http://openmindedconversations.blogspot.com/ jshmueller

      As I’m looking at the title of your post, I guess you’re actually suggesting the enemy may be standing next to us UNCHANGED. I don’t know if I would have it in me but I hope I’d be able to say to God: “I forgive him. Will you forgive him too? He didn’t know what he was doing!”

      • http://jonathanbrink.com Jonathan Brink

        Kind of sounds like what Jesus said on the cross.

    • http://jonathanbrink.com Jonathan Brink

      But what if God called you out and asked, What are you thinking?

      • http://openmindedconversations.blogspot.com/ jshmueller

        Maybe it sounds silly but the first thing that popped into my head was:rnrn”I can’t believe I’m actually here! That’s what I’m thinking.”

  • http://twitter.com/helenamaddox Kara Helena

    When I first read the question I thought “I wonder if anyone I’ve hurt in the past will be standing next to me and what will their reaction be to seeing me?”nnI’m at a new place of freedom from past pains. Right now, at this moment, I’d love nothing more than to hear (or see) someone that has wronged, abused or hurt me come to know, love and follow Christ. nn

    • http://jonathanbrink.com Jonathan Brink

      Verrrrryyyyy nice spin Kara. Love it.

  • http://www.JanetOber.com Janet Oberholtzer

    One of the things about Heaven that I was taught is that there will be no sadness/hurt/tears there … so if a loved one isn’t in Heaven, we won’t miss them because there is no sadness there. Which always confused me … does that mean we won’t remember that loved one from earth and/or that Heaven will be so great that we won’t miss them? nnBack to your question using that logic, if it is true … then will we know the ‘enemy’ standing beside us and/or will we remember the hurt they’ve done to us?

    • http://jonathanbrink.com Jonathan Brink

      Janet, do you think that is the erasing of memory or the flooding of our minds with truth. I think they are different. One seems to ignore reality, and the other seems to acknowledge it and get over it.

      • http://www.JanetOber.com Janet Oberholtzer

        Good distinction to think about … not sure which it might be. Could it be combo of both?nWhat do you think?

        • http://jonathanbrink.com Jonathan Brink

          I think one informs the other. When we understand the other it takes away the pain of the memory. The awareness of the event can remain, but the source of the pain has been removed.

        • http://jonathanbrink.com Jonathan Brink

          I think one informs the other. When we understand the other it takes away the pain of the memory. The awareness of the event can remain, but the source of the pain has been removed.

        • http://jonathanbrink.com Jonathan Brink

          I think one informs the other. When we understand the other it takes away the pain of the memory. The awareness of the event can remain, but the source of the pain has been removed.

        • http://jonathanbrink.com Jonathan Brink

          I think one informs the other. When we understand the other it takes away the pain of the memory. The awareness of the event can remain, but the source of the pain has been removed.

        • http://jonathanbrink.com Jonathan Brink

          I think one informs the other. When we understand the other it takes away the pain of the memory. The awareness of the event can remain, but the source of the pain has been removed.

        • http://jonathanbrink.com Jonathan Brink

          I think one informs the other. When we understand the other it takes away the pain of the memory. The awareness of the event can remain, but the source of the pain has been removed.

        • http://jonathanbrink.com Jonathan Brink

          I think one informs the other. When we understand the other it takes away the pain of the memory. The awareness of the event can remain, but the source of the pain has been removed.

      • David

        I like your answer to Janet, but think it’s more. Not only will we know truth and know as we are known so that to me implies all pride, hurt, preceved wrongs, etc. will be gone along with the tears.rnrnThe Bible tells us only by pride comes contention and that will be gone so we will be free to really love as God designed us to and real Love over comes preceved or real wrongs I think. rnrnBigger issue is I’m guessing would be our initial thoughts as our eyes are opened to a new reality or the the way God created it and our relationship to God and others restored in a perfect way.rnrnThat alone to me would mean we would now love as we are loved and those earthly things wouldn’t matter as much if at all.rn

  • http://www.livinginabeautifulmess.blogspot.com Cheryl Ensom Dack

    Another great post/conversation. Wow.rnrnO.k. I’d have to answer this one with a short story. Last year at this time, I had filed for divorce and was 100%, beyond-a-shadow-of-a-doubt SURE that I not only did not want to be married to my husband, but that getting married in the first place was a huge mistake. I was so sure that I believed that our getting a divorce was not just a “way out” for me, but that is was the best thing for everyone, including my husband and my kids. rnrnToday we are “back together,” which is kind of a misnomer, since we really and truly have a brand-new relationship. How that happened is of course a super-long story. We both changed while we were separated. But that change doesn’t entirely explain the reason why we are back together. And that’s why I’m bringing this up…rnrnToday my husband and I can still tell you the reason for our individual pain. We can still tell you the things the other person did to injure us. We can still cry when we talk about it. But we can also cry when we talk about the OTHER PERSON’S pain. We can explain to someone else why the things the other person did to us doesn’t make them “bad,” “evil,” or “at fault.” That’s because we have begun to see one another as….well, GOOD. We have begun to understand the “why” behind even the most painful things the other person did/didn’t do. It doesn’t excuse the ways we hurt one another, the bad choices made, the balls dropped or the mistakes made in our brokenness. But we don’t need to excuse those things. We can look at the other person and say, “I know you didn’t mean to hurt me. I know you were doing your best. I know that even as you were hurting me more than anyone else every has, you thought you were doing the right thing.” We want to be understood. We want to understand. It’s a process. We don’t always do this well! But it’s such a different perspective. It’s LOVE.rnrnI’m certain I won’t be able to come to that point of seeing/understanding everyone who has hurt me in this life. Or vice versa. If I were laid open for everyone to see, there would be things that disappoint and hurt others, but there would also be things that would heal the hearts of those I’ve hurt. I believe that if everyone, including those who hurt me most, were laid open, I would find the same things. And I’d find hearts like mine who want to be loved, and love, with a love that never leaves. Period. This doesn’t mean I can’t/don’t feel pain at the hands of others. But I honestly don’t want anyone to “go to hell.”

    • http://jonathanbrink.com Jonathan Brink

      I love hearing this story in you Cheryl. The awareness of the other AND their pain is powerful. It’s compassion. And it makes life so much richer even though its not easy.

    • http://jonathanbrink.com Jonathan Brink

      I love hearing this story in you Cheryl. The awareness of the other AND their pain is powerful. It’s compassion. And it makes life so much richer even though its not easy.

  • Evans Regina

    Well, the first thing I honestly would do would be to get pissed off and ask ‘What, how…why are you here? I really don’t get it. Far out!”. And then I would probably sulk a bit, write out a poem on all the gunk in my own self, things I am feeling about the “situation” called my enemy standing next to me in heaven, etc. rnrnAnd, then, I would probably say “Let’s sit down for a chat. I’d like to know what you were thinking when you hurt me, why you did what you did, how you could do so. Let’s talk. Because obviously God sees something in you that I haven’t been able to see. And I’d like to see it too. Well, at least try. especially since we are going to be hangin’ out together for a while. Whaddya say?”rnrnrnrn-peace

  • http://twitter.com/AlbertoMedrano Alberto Medrano

    If you have an enemy, you are not in heaven. Instead, you are in hell. I believe heaven is experienced when reconciliation happens. Without forgiveness, no one may enter the Kingdom.

  • http://paradigmshift-jmac.blogspot.com/ Joe Machuta

    Perhaps this a little too analytical but, when we look at the kingdom of heaven, what the Greek really said was the kingdom of the sky. Heaven = OURANUS = Sky. So, when we think of heaven we must be thinking of an eternal spiritual dimension…. the state of being one with God, Jesus and each other. Therefore, as we stand with each other in the presence of God… I seriously doubt that what we did to each other in life will have the same severity it now possesses… since our existence now is pretty much all we know.nnIn my view, the kingdom of heaven is the spiritual dimension operating here on earth and while I think we are gaining g round… we still have a long way to go.

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Business development and communications for growing businesses.