If There Is No Heaven...

Comic found at Toothpaste for Dinner

During my undergraduate studies I took an upper division bible class in which the professor asked us, "If somehow you could be absolutely certain that there is no heaven, would you still be a Christian?" For some people a question like this might be shocking or offensive, but his point was profound and still sticks with me today. If the sole reason why many people are Christians is to gain access into heaven when we die, then I believe we have greatly missed a significant aspect of the biblical faiths.

I will make you into a great nation,

    and I will bless you;

I will make your name great,

    and you will be a blessing.

I will bless those who bless you,

    and whoever curses you I will curse;

and all peoples on earth

    will be blessed through you. 

Gen 12:2, NIV

Beginning with God's calling out of Israel to be a holy people set apart from the world, we see that there is a significant duty for God's people. In God's promise to Israel, blessings are bestowed unto the world through Israel's faithfulness - "and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." God set the Israelites apart from the rest of the world to become a people dedicated to sharing God's love and grace to those who do not recognize it or refuse to accept it. Failure to recognize, accept, or live a life that reflects God's love allows sin to control us, and we selfishly continue to cause pain and suffering for ourselves and others. Sin is our self-love that results in the neglect of others. When people suffer we tend to place the blame not on ourselves, but on those who are suffering. Sin causes us to speak great untruths in order to release our guilt. The person living on the street is there because of an addiction or poor choices. We should not feel bad when we ignore their request for help. The woman who was raped was asking for it by being less cautious and by wearing skimpy clothes. The person threatening to jump off the bridge on to the freeway is just a nuisance causing traffic blocks and needs to be either shot down or pushed off and scraped off the road so the rush hour traffic can get home. Who cares about the emotional or psychological distress they need help with? The terrorists just hate Americans. It has nothing to do with the fact that many are deprived of basic needs such as food and shelter. The way to take care of the threat is to fight back with violent, lethal power, which is "easier" than concerning ourselves with the economic disparities throughout the world that we benefit from.

It is this kind of sinful thinking that makes the world, God's beautiful creation, a difficult place to live in and to worship God for the mighty works God has accomplished. It is in response to the suffering and sorrow of the world and the selfish "solutions" offered that I can say that I would still be a Christian if somehow I was able to know with one hundred percent certainty that heaven does not exist. As a Christian grafted into the calling of Israel to be a people set apart, I want to set myself apart from the sinful way of thinking about the world's suffering. I am committed to the calling of the people of God to be reflections of God's image - the image of love and grace. The fulfillment of that commitment is through selfless love and service, which is often very difficult (but that is why we need the support found in a Church body), and not by believing the correct doctrine and doing our best to convince other people to adopt our beliefs. I now leave the question to you, because your response might differ from mine: "If somehow you could be absolutely certain that there is no heaven, would you still be a Christian?"

As always, I welcome and love to hear responses in the comments.

Serving a Single Master

 (Thanks to Paper Crane Library for bringing the following article from Forbes to my attention.)

Forbes has created a list of the best and worst Master's degrees for jobs. Surprisingly, the MA in Religion and the MDiv was not included in the worst list (they probably earned an honorable mention that just wasn't mentioned). Yet, I could not ignore the list, because the second best Master's degree for future jobs is Computer Science. When I began my undergraduate studies I had declared myself as a Computer Science major because I knew that it would be a financially beneficial field, but after a semester of computer programming and calculus I could not stand the thought of a life devoted to computer science. I always knew that computer science is not limited to my worst enemy - programming - but if that task is the foundation of various computer science careers I decided that it would be foolish for me to continue computer science since I was headed for a life of jobs I would not enjoy regardless of potential wealth. I respect those who have chosen and enjoy a path in computer science, but it was not the path for me. It was during that time that I began to realize that my studies should be based on the enjoyment I will receive from advancing in whatever field  I chose.

At the beginning of my sophomore year I chose Philosophy and Theology for a few reasons, but, admittedly, among the reasons for my switch to this major the most compelling was the small number of units required for that particular major. Still, I had other reasons for switching to Philosophy and Theology. I was also fascinated by the historical contexts of the biblical books, the variations in type of literature that make up the whole of scripture, the length of time between the writing of the earliest books and the latest books and what that means for the biblical narrative, the historical development of doctrine, and the variances between the various expressions of the Christian faith were just a few of the ideas that would begin to grab my attention and fuel my desire to learn more about philosophy, biblical studies, and theology. The joy I continue to receive from my academic studies is priceless. The Forbes article explains that the criteria for the list admits that the jobs on the worst side of the list can be pleasurable to people, but the author's intent is to warn readers about the low availability of jobs, the medium pay, and the potential struggle for advancement opportunities in these fields. Ultimately, the worst and best list is based upon financial gain, which is assumed to be the way to achieve happiness. Coming from a family that often faces financial struggles, I see how poverty can lead to depression when basic needs are barely being met. But I have avoided seeing career success and big paychecks as the way to avoid that depression. I began with a redefinition of needs and happiness. The former cannot be defined as the accumulation of objects, which means that financial wealth does not fulfill the latter.

Personification of Mammon found on Wikipedia.

Happiness must come from joy found in meaningful, healthy activities that comprise our daily lives. In one particular essay,  The Minimalists offer a wonderful exposition on how genuine happiness is best found in free activities. Their entire collection of essays are helpful for taking my focus away from materialistic desires. Their essays are not theological, but it does express a truth found throughout all of scripture that continuously reminds us of how the things of this world (money, power, possessions, etc.) distract us from finding ways to express God's radical, unconditional love. Therefore, I am troubled (but not alarmed) that the list of best and worst career pursuits is based on financial criteria. I do understand the author's warning that it is not wise to pursue an education that you will not be able to pay for, but to categorize academic pursuits as "worst" and "best" based upon potential income still express an outlook on money in terms of terrible definitions of happiness and need. I am content and completely happy without a six figure income. I am especially encouraged by Jesus's declaration that you cannot serve two masters, God and Mammon (or money) (Matt. 6:24), and I will continue to recognize that happiness comes from serving others as an expression of God's love for all of creation. I love pursuing theological studies, and I hope theology will merely serve as a step of toward making my daily life a reflection of the kingdom of God. As Wesley often proclaimed, happiness is found in service of God's love. In his sermon "The Circumcision of the Heart" he says,

Very excellent things are spoken of love; it is the essence, the spirit, the life of all virtue. It is not only the first and great command, but it is all the commandments in one. "Whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are amiable," or honorable; "if there be any virtue, if there be any praise," they are all comprised in this one word, -- love. In this is perfection, and glory, and happiness. [cf. Phil 4:8]

Perhaps I am young and my financial burdens are currently light, which allows me to be happy and content right now, but I hope and pray that my life will always be defined by serving God without the burdensome distraction of fulfilling my most basic needs.