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How to Help Heaven Happen. . .Right Now

© Richard Kent Matthews

I saw a man carrying a tall sign in the heart of downtown Portland. It read "Jesus Saves From Hell. Turn, or Burn!" Then I read a quote from the Sufi mystic Raba'i. She said, and I paraphrase, "God if I seek you to avoid hell, burn me in hell. If I seek you to attain heaven, cast me out. Let my seeking of you be for you alone." May I be so bold as to suggest that we quit seeking rewards, be they houses, cars, heaven or avoidance of hell, and seek only the recognition of the Presence of God? If I am constantly concerned with what God is going to do FOR me or TO me, I don't have time to be concerned with what I am here to be concerned about: YOU! Emmett Fox, renown New Thought teacher and writer, said, "Take your mind off the problem [me] and put on God [others]. We are called to love one another. That is our main purpose on this planet.

I have heard some of my friends of traditional religious persuasions admit that they are not certain if they are "good enough" to go to heaven. What a shame. When we practice the Presence of God, now, in this moment, we step into heaven, now, in this moment. It really is that simple. And the rewards are sure to follow.

Jesus said, in Luke 17:21, that the Kingdom of God is within us. Now, the Greek word translated as 'within' can also be translated as 'among.' That means that, as we express love to one another, the Kingdom becomes tangible, available, accessible, right here and right now. We don't have to die, or be 'good enough' to enter the Kingdom. We just have to, first, acknowledge, then accept, its reality.

Heaven is in the heart. Forgiveness helps. . .

What is forgiveness? First, it isn't something we do for the offender; it is something we do for ourselves. Unforgiveness is poison. It spawns bitterness, anger, vengeance, resentment--all of which are deadly to the body, mind, and spirit. Oh, we can justify our unforgiveness, carrying a banner of victimhood, declaring to the world how we've been wronged. In the end, though, the only one who truly suffers from unforgiveness is ourselves.

Second, forgiveness can be hard work. It takes courage; it takes determination; it takes effort. And it takes commitment. But in order to make the decision to forgive, it's necessary that we understand the mechanisms of hurt, pain, guilt, anger, bitterness and resentment, and how they play themselves out in our lives, sometimes unconsciously. It is important that we recognize the toll unforgiveness takes on our relationships, our careers, our spiritual lives. Beverly Flanigan, in her wonderful book "Forgiving Yourself, " says, "Forgiveness and self-forgiveness require that a person take a brave stance toward some condition in [his/her] life that cannot be changed." She goes on to say, "Forgiving yourself for the mistakes you have made is a small step toward peace. It is a signal to others that you have learned from, and are again engaged in, the activities of life."