A Few Words On "The Word"
November 11, 2007
The 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
Equality Beyond Imagination
Heaven, what a place! The clouds, the sunshine, the music, and the friends. Happiness beyond our wildest imagination. Eternity spent with our closest friends and relatives, living it up in a huge house. It all sounds really nice!
Unfortunately, heaven probably won't be quite like that. Sure, it will be awesome, but we can't really imagine what it'll be like. Obviously, we know God is there and we can be pretty sure that it will be rather pleasant. It's just easy to forget that it's not a human reality.
We often like to think that heaven will contain the best things of life on earth. It's natural! In fact, it's about the only thing we can do. As humans, we have to think and speak in a language that we can understand. For us that means we make heaven a place that contains all the things that make us happy in this life.
A big part of what makes us happy is being with our friends and family. The same was true during Jesus' time. Not all Jews believed in the afterlife but the ones who did seemed to think that your husband or wife would still be married to you once you died. In today's reading, Jesus is faced with the challenge of explaining how this might work if people were married more than once. Who would they be connected to for all eternity?
As usual, Jesus turns the tables on those questioning him. He also helps us to think a little bit deeper about what heaven is really like. Jesus' answer shows us that heaven isn't a popularity contest where everyone is concerned about who's with who. Marriage, friendship, and family are somewhat irrelevant. All people will be together, equally enjoying eternity with God.
If equality will be the norm in heaven, shouldn't we strive to live the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth, desiring that same equality? Shouldn't we do all that we can to show that all people are loved and accepted regardless of who they are? Heaven will be an extraordinary experience of love, justice, and equality. Therefore, let's do all that we can to give our world a glimpse of that reality. Let's strive to bring forth an equality that is totally beyond imagination.
Reflection Question
In what ways do you strive to provide a glimpse of heaven to those living here on earth?
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