For most of my childhood and young adult life, I wanted more than anything to go to heaven and be with Jesus. When I was a child I thought as a child, but now I have put away childish thoughts (some of them at least). I was reminded of how I’ve changed several years ago when having lunch with a stranger, he commented to me,” I can’t wait to die and go to heaven and meet Jesus.”
Others have a similar idea but express it from a book of Revelation paradigm. They are waiting for Jesus to come back from heaven, float down from the sky, and touch down like some super human with an invisible robo pack that allows him to navigate and defy gravitational laws.
God is spirit, and Jesus has gone back to that spiritual realm that you and I will one day as well.
The “second coming” has come! The Holy Spirit has come. Christ is IN us and that’s the hope of glory. It’s language that none of us can completely articulate, but only approximate. Christ IN us, we IN Him, I IN you, we IN Christ, Christ IN God, etc. While understanding all of that is above our pay grade, comprehending that heaven is not a physical place should not be!
I can’t GO to where I already AM! 
There is no star in the universe that is heaven. We are truly seated with Christ in “heavenly places” right here, right now. Listen, the heavenlies are everywhere! and the heavenlies are mostly hidden from the natural eye. Jesus isn’t going to return in a physical form and whisk us away to some remote geographical location.
1-There is no physical heaven to go to.
2-Jesus has already returned (past tense) and lives in us now.
3-Heaven, the kingdom of God is here now, everywhere, ever present- for the last 2,000 years
So, the moral of this commentary is to start living as though you ARE already there, because you know what, YOU ARE. I AM!
PS. You can’t go to hell either! Now, that is GOOD NEWS!
AMEN! AMEN! Ernie, I am curious, have you read “Reading the Bible Again for the First Time”, by Marcus Borg? It sounds like something I would enjoy. What is you opinion of Borg and his ideas of Panentheism; Transcendence and Immanence? I value your opinion. Thanks!
I’m a Borg fan- have read ALL his books, like his panentheism paradigm (which isn’t his) and I would highly recommend “Reading The Bible Again For The First Time.” But, I am not all that enthused with his alignment with “The Jesus Seminar” and Robert Funk who died a few years ago. PS. I pefer Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time over the book above mentioned.
I have read, “The Five Gospels”. It was one of the first “heretical” books I read. It was really too early in my journey for me to read. I re-read it recently. I am really a fan of “The Gospel of Thomas”.
Thanks for the recommendations. I’ll order both. I have scanned the internet for his articles and have been impressed by his ideas. I had come to the conclusion that I wasn’t sure I would be called a Christian anymore (not sure that’s an important thing in the long run). Borg’s ideas have given me hope that I can reconcile my own thoughts with Borg’s ideas of Christianity. I had previously felt very deeply that I could not see myself attending any church group because I would feel hypocritical about the “standard” beliefs of most of them. I know I would feel comfortable in LRC, but the drive would “kill” me! Thanks.
Well then move to Houston!
PS. Borg and his wife (who is full time there) go to church WEEKLY!