What Heaven and Hell Will Not Be (Yeah, awkward wording)

I am a BIG fan of The Who.  The original bunch.  You know....Pete, Roger, John, and Keith.  Well maybe you don't know.  Use the internet (reference the song The Relay).  I digress.  I have a particular affinity for John Entwistle because I love his lyrics, he was the greatest bass player ever, and the connection for the word affinity is that I am the world's worst bass player.  Now how does this all lead to Misconceptions of Heaven and Hell.  It just so happens John wrote a song about both places.

On top of the sky
Is a place where you go
If you've done, nothing wrong
If you've done nothing wrong

And down in the ground
Is a place where you go
If you've been a bad boy
If you've been a bad boy

Why can't we have eternal life
And never die?
Never die

In the place up above
You grow feather wings and you fly
'Round and 'round
With a harp singing hymns

And down in the ground
You grow horns and a tail
And you carry a fork
And moan and wail

Why can't we have eternal life
And never die?
Never die

                   John Entwistle - Heaven and Hell

 

Well, there you have it.  As I talk to people, even church people, this is pretty much their conception of both places.  Now I'm not intending to tell you what heaven and hell will be.  I just want to point out that they will not be the cartoon version you find in John's song or in any other form of art that conveys the same message.  Here's what I'm encouraging you to do.  Read.  Read what?  The Bible is always a good place to start, and there are other sources that discuss what heaven and hell may or may not be.  I'm currently working through N.T Wright's book Surprised by Hope, and there are so many others written on the subject.  Will you find it confusing?  Probably.  Will you find it helpful?  Certainly.  Will you come to any conclusions?  Maybe.  Most importantly you will find it fulfilling to discover, that regardless of the theology, heaven will be more than just flying around forever singing hymns you no longer want to sing.  

 

God has great things in store for us.  Go, read, think, pray.  Talk amongst yourselves!!!

 

Fosh