12 August 2008

Being Scared of the Afterlife

As a kid I remember being haunted by vision of hell, I was sure I was going there: for lying, for stealing a Star Wars figure from KMart, for all the things kids do.  My anxiety was not alleviated when I started going to youth group activities (one in particular, on a New Year's Eve Lock-in, I found myself at 11:30pm in a mausoleum watching a proto-left behind movie.  

As I matured I suppose the threat and anxiety of hell dissipated to the point where I began looking towards heaven.  Today I had what I am sure will be part of heaven: a fresh vine ripened tomato with several strips of crisp bacon and lettuce on toasted whole wheat bread.  But there is a deep problem with this picture:  Jesus, Lord of all, was a Jew and Jews do not eat pork.  I know I know there is the whole story in Acts where Peter sees all animals as clean but can I with full confidence know that there will be BLT sandwiches in heaven, I cannot -- and that scares me...

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