Bringing Heaven to Hell-on-Earth

[The Midweek Encounter is a ministry of Encounter Church in Kentwood, MI. These posts are reflections on Sunday's message, which can be heard here each week: http://myencounterchurch.org/#/messages-media] 

In 2011, author Rob Bell’s theology was launched into the spotlight when he published his book, Love Wins, because it suggested the possibility that hell might not exist, or that hell might be a real place but ultimately empty because everybody might be in heaven. While Bell is comfortable leaving room for “the mystery of God’s love,” some mainstream Christians were ruffled by the suggestion that God’s plan of salvation might be more generous than they understood it. The controversy was so intense, in fact, that Bell’s book and its reception landed the cover of the April 14, 2011 Time Magazine with a headline that read, “What if Hell Doesn’t Exist?” Because of the controversy, some of Bell’s other salient points, like the argument that many people live in hellish circumstances here on earth, faded under the din.

I don’t know much about the theology of hell—whether it’s a physical place, eternal annihilation, or something else entirely—but I do know that too many people do live in a “hell-like” state here on earth. Some people are caught up in the hells inflicted by the selfishness or hatred of others and are subjected to endless war, terror, and abuse. Others construct their own hells through deceit, envy, or destructive patterns or habits. When Christ stepped into this world he came for salvation, to demonstrate how and why Christians should facilitate rescue wherever they can. Another way of thinking about this is that Christians live in this world to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. In other words, we’re here to bring a little bit of heaven to down to earth.

My kids have a children’s Bible called The Jesus Storybook Bible, and every time we read it I appreciate again the language of the “rescuer” who bridges the stories and spans the entire story of the Bible. Things go right or things go wrong, but Jesus rescues his people just the same. And Jesus’ examples of teaching, or feeding a hungry crowd, or calming a storm, or bringing a dead man back to life, demonstrate to us the possibilities for bringing a heaven-like experience to those who are hurting or hungry or terrified or spiritually unwell.

But before we adopt all the orphans or visit all the prisoners or sell our homes to fund World Vision, it’s critically important that we be sure that the rescuing we have in mind comes to us from God. Each of us is called to a rescue mission, but first we need to spend time in prayer asking God what that mission might look like. In the first chapter of Nehemiah, we learn what it looks like to find a mission, and it all starts with a broken heart. Nehemiah hears that people he loves are in chaos, despair, disgrace, and disrepair. Nehemiah’s first response is not to pack his bags or sell his possessions or march in the streets or start a GoFundMe. His first response is to mourn, to weep, to fast, and to sit in prayer with God to think more intentionally about what it might look like to bring a heaven-like experience to hell-on-earth. And when Nehemiah does uncover a plan that he believes is from God, he prays this prayer: “Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today…” (Nehemiah 1:11).

If you, like so many, desire to change the world—to bring a little bit of heaven into a hellish place, then the story of Nehemiah shows us one Godly path. Pray for your heart to break for the things that break God’s heart. Sit with God and that broken heart. Pray for a rescue plan. And pray that God will grant the rescue mission success in bringing heaven to earth.

[Kristin vanEyk loves Encounter Church and hopes that you have found a community at Encounter as well. You can find out more about what Kristin is up to here.]