by Colleen Barnes

Created on: June 23, 2009   Last Updated: June 24, 2009

It is said by many the only certainty in life is death!

Death is something that most people prefer not to think about and it is not until the loss of a loved one that we are reminded that none are exempt including ourselves; that we are reminded of the finality of death, the finality of life as we know it. It is at this time that money; fame and power fail yet heaven prevails, heaven gives hope for those that have died, that not only it is not the end but that there is something better, a hope for those that mourn, a hope not just for the dead; but for the living.

Within the society we live the chief concern of medical science has been to postpone and avert death. With the promise of a pain free death and doctors taking the place of clergy, medicalization has played a major role in the denial of death. Most die in hospitals away from home hidden from society with an attitude of fear and shame. Dying is no longer seen as a spiritual transition but as a medical condition. And it is into this world that the Gospel must speak.

People have many different ideas of what happens at death and with the many different schools of thought and ideas prevalent today: How do we know? Can we know which one is right? Is death the end? Or is there an afterlife? And if so what is that like? Many questions and yet no matter how much man advances technologically, sociologically, we still have very little in the way of answers.

The idea of Heaven as a physical place has existed since the dawn of religion and human civilization. In some early religions (such as the Ancient Egyptians) Heaven was a physical place far above the Earth in a "dark area" where there were no stars, basically beyond the Universe. But due to the advance of space flight modern science has done much to discredit the idea of heaven as a physical place.

We live in a sceptical society and many are wary of embracing the idea of afterlife, as there is little evidence in support except personal testimony. And whilst many have reported near death experiences of an afterlife these are often discredited due to the fallibility of man and written off as mere opinion. For many to believe in heaven is seen as a weakness and this is in part to do with the portrayal of heaven as all angels and harps which may be a part but the biblical view and definition of heaven is much greater than that of popular culture.

Some view the notion of heaven as a "opiate of the masses" that heaven is a tool employed by humans to cope with their lives or a tool employed by authorities to bribe their subjects into a certain way of life by promising a reward after death.

For many heaven is a fanciful notion, a ludicrous concept it is termed by some as pie in the sky meaning the illusory promise of a desired outcome that is unlikely to happen. With so many negative ideas of heaven it is surprising that anyone still believes in it!

Heaven gives perspective to life on earth. Heaven gives an answer, an end to suffering and injustice. Think of the person that can no longer stand, that can no longer function properly think of the body wracked with pain, death may be a welcome relief and not something to be feared or avoided.

To some, heaven is a poor motivation for moral behaviour but it is a reminder that actions and choices here and now have eternal consequences.

When heaven is our hope then death is not just the end but a new beginning. And as the apostle Paul claimed in the book of Corinthians (NT) chapter 15 verse 55 O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting? The body will die but the spirit lives on, life is more than just a body. Heaven is a hope beyond death.

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