At times of death and loss I often turn to Joni Erickson Tada’s devotional book entitled Heaven, Your Real Home*. She has a unique perspective on suffering and faith, loss and hope, earth and heaven.
Personally, I have a hard time reconciling the realities of death with the unknowns of heaven. Death seems so harsh and ugly. Heaven seems so fantastical– just too wonderful to be true.
It helps to be reminded of the need for simple faith. In the chapter entitled, “Heaven is God’s Mystery,” Joni reminds us:
Heaven is your journey’s end, your life’s goal, your purpose for going on. You’re supposed to be eagerly
awaiting it. But trying to grasp heaven without faith is like trying to admire the outside of a huge great cathedral with grand windows. Standing outside, you see an impressive but imposing structure. The building is striking, but has no real glory. But if you go inside the cathedral—which is a little like looking at heaven through eyes of faith—you are breathless as you stand washed in glorious colors from the light that streams through the window.
Faith takes us beyond the imposing and impressive language of golden cities and thrones, and reveals the better, brighter glory inside the walls of the New Jerusalem. Faith takes the descriptions of 24-karat asphalt and big pearls swinging on hinges and makes us certain that what we hope for is far, far better than here.
A beautiful picture, to be sure. One that even my simple faith can envision!
*Joni Erickson Tada, Heaven: Your Real Home, Zondervan (1996) Pg. 18
Post written by Leona Bergstrom, Director, Re-Ignite
Picture courtesy of Canstock Photo
