Lk. 20: 27-38
Heaven is for real, is one of the bestselling book written by Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent. It is based on the near death experience of Todd’s three year old son Colton. Colton had to undergo an emergency appendicectomy. However, he had to face a critical moment wherein the boy encountered death face to face. However, he overcomes the critical moments and comes back to the ordinary life. Then he shares with his parents about his unusual experience like how he was separated from his body during the time of his surgical intervention. To their surprise, he shares with them the matters probably would have been unknown to him like the knowledge of his unborn sister, whom he lost due to miscarriage; knowledge of his great grandfather who died thirty years before he was born; he also describes about Jesus, how he rides the rainbow coloured horse. He sat on Jesus’ lap while angels sang songs to him. He also saw Mary kneeling before the throne of God and at times standing beside Jesus. However, parents could not digest all these matters shared by his son. They think it was a hallucination due to the chemical reaction of anesthesia during the surgical intervention. Todd had noc hosice but to believe that his son had a near death experience, when Colton identified Jesus drawn by another girl who had similar experience; he testifies that he had seen the same person riding the rainbow coloured horse and on whose lap he sat… Todd started to convince his wife and community of the fact that heaven is for real but people tend to make them believe that it is a fear factor cooked up to frighten people to lead a moral life…
A question that lingering around human mind from time immemorial is that is there a life after death? I am sure that this will remain as a relevant question for the ages to come because death can be considered as a sure reality of our existence. In the future, advanced technologies may prolong the lifespan of humans. However, one day we have to come to terms with this reality by accepting it whole heartedly. It is crucial for us because we live in a period wherein the realities beyond our sensory realm, does not exist for quite many. However, even an atheist could have encountered this question on life after death at one point or the other in his/her life. Categorically and scientifically many might have arrived at the conclusion that there is no life after death. However, the reality of death and thought about life after death bothers all.
The very essence of Christianity is the faith in the resurrection. Today’s gospel specifically deals with this theme. Sadducees never believed in a life after death. So they come to Jesus with the story of a woman and her seven husbands. They wanted to uphold their view by making Jesus answerless. They pose the question to Jesus that after death whose wife she would be? Here, Jesus gives a clear explanation to their query by stating the nature of existence after one’s death. Primarily, it is entirely different from our earthly existence. Our earthly life is very much characterized by our bodily needs. In fact, we are very much limited and controlled by these bodily needs. However in our heavenly existence too, we have the bodily elements because we believe in the resurrection of the body but it will be freed from all the factors that limit or control the body in the earthly existence such as death, sickness, various passions such as hunger, sickness, pain etc. Our individual identity too will be maintained.
Nevertheless, no one would be restricted to one particular family or individual, rather we become the part of the family of God’s kingdom and we share in the existence of God and remain in his love nurtured by his presence and glory.
We live in a time wherein, people those who believe in life after death are reducing day by day. They are influenced by certain ideologies and modern life styles that promote certain realities that are perceptible to our senses. The notion of life after death is a great threat for this pleasure seeking life. So they promote the culture of hedonism that exhorts all to eat, drink, make merry because tomorrow all would die. It is very difficult to convince a person who doesn’t believe in life after death because it is beyond our sensory experiences. The one and the only evidence for life after death is the resurrection of Christ. He promised us that He will be with us till the end of time. In the past two thousand years people belonged to different epoch experienced his unfailing presence in their lives. He is alive therefore we are alive. Let us continue our sojourn in this hope that we are accompanied by Jesus here on earth and we will be sharing eternity with Him