I’m not too sure I like the idea of arriving to heaven in a state of human perfection, where I’m free of my mistake ridden, gas producing body; and, where I somehow transcend my sometimes mischievous, often depraved, usually creative and darkened mind. I don’t like the perfect me.

Or, rather, I don’t like perfect me in the Greek philosophy sense of perfect, where I’m static, gloriously unmovable and unable to grow.  I like the unGreek idea of perfect me, where perfection is growth!  Where perfection is sometimes mistakes!

If the next “world” is an “afterlife” where we sit around like a bunch of 60 somethings at a high school reunion reminiscing about the old times, then take my name off the sign-up sheet.  Life is growth.  Eternal life is some type of eternal growth. But if the eternal is somehow after life, where we sit and admire both our own and God’s timeless perfection … then it’s not for me.

I want messy relationships with God and others. I want a place where it takes an eternity for the finite to exhaust the infinite.  I want a place that’s lived in … not some fancy mansion where every little piece of furniture is in its rightful place, where the white carpet can’t be tread upon and the windows can’t be smudged.  Give me the place where I can be myself and allow God and others to mold me as I interact with them.  I want a place that’s dirtied by the use of people.

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But I have a secret doubt that I’m afraid to admit.  I’m afraid to admit it because this doubt could undermine both my legitimacy as a Christian and my ability to comfort people during their weakest moments.

Sometimes I doubt the whole resurrection and eternal life thing even exists. In fact, there’s times when I tell myself I have to learn to be content with this life because it could be all I’ll ever have.

I know that Jesus talks time and time again about eternal life, but is it possible that his understanding of eternal life is different than ours?  Yes, it’s possible.

For those of us that are Christians, sometimes it’s the highest expression of our faith to believe in something that’s unseen. And so it’s hard to admit when we doubt about the seemingly certain promises of the unseen eternal life that’s promised in God’s Word.  It’s as though we’re being faithless and, in a sense, unChristian if we doubt and question the life to come after death.

Realizing that few of us are brave enough to put our doubts out in the public for all to question, I’ve set up this anonymous poll.

Please answer honestly.  I realize that many have NO doubts about eternal life.  And I also realize that some of you have totally written off eternal life as a type of “opiate for the masses”. Either way, feel free to respond according to what you believe.

Once you take the poll, it will show you the results.

[polldaddy poll=5986253]

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