Frankly I think very little about heaven and even less about hell. Strange, isn't it that there is so little about either in the Bible.All this bit about playing harps , flying about from cloud to cloud and singing praises to God for eternity are not really Biblical at all. In the Old Testament heaven  is described as Abraham's bosom, whatever that is,  which is pretty vague really.

Jesus seemed to give practically all of his attention to the present world and how our real business, if we are  to be followers of Him, are exactly what Marley says in "The Christmas Carol" when Scrooge reminds him of his earthly business.

He cries out: "Business?  My business should have been the business of  mankind?"  And then he pleads with Scrooge to change his lifestyle while there is still time and eventually he does!!!!! I'll drink to that!

To me the exciting thing about Christianity is the fact that Jesus asks His disciples to busy themselves with bringing in His Kingdom right here on earth just as it says in the prayer "ON EARTH  as it is in heaven." Most Christians don't give this a second thought though they repeat it endlessly.

Incidentally when the disciples came to Jesus and asked Him to teach them to pray, He said:  "Do not use repetition as the heathens do, but PRAY IN THIS MANNER. . . . And so Christians have been repeating the same prayer in a rote manner ever since.  Do they ever listen to what He actually says?  He also said when you pray go into your closet and prayer secretly. Don't pray openly and publicly the way the Scribes and Pharisees do. to advertise their piety.

But nobody plays attention to what he actually said. "The people heard and approved the doctrine and immediately practised the contrary!"  A truer  word was never spoken.

To me it is obvious that what Jesus  meant is what the great prophets of the Old Testament meant.  Work for peace, work for justice, concern yourself with the poor and the destitute.  Heal the sick.  Protect the weak. Love your neighbor as yourself and do good to your enemies.  And  finally spread my "good news" that God is Love and not a God of wrath around the world in your lifetime.

So all Christians should be ambassadors for Christ everyday of their lives.  We live in a dark,dark world  where such ambassadors are needed on a daily basis.

I guess I  somewhat agree with the Jehovah Witnesses  who believe that at the end of time we will continue to live on the earth just as we do now only by then the Kingdom will have been established and all men will live peaceably together in a state not unlike our world right now. Jesus will rule from heaven and so it is not necessary to rebuild the temple or remodel the Vatican for His headquarters.

As  Walt Whitman said, "I think that "the running blackberry adorns the parlors of heaven." I find that more exciting than the descriptions we get of golden streets and pearly gates that Saint John delineates in the Book of Revelations.

And I also like the heaven that the Blacks sing about in their spirituals. It's going to be an eternal fish fry with everyone sharing his catch!!! And the  uproarious singing can't be beat even by the angelic choirs.!!!!

"Bored people such as you describe, will not be allowed to impose their boredom on others.  In all of my life, I have never allowed myself to become bored.  I am a thermostat who can control temperatures and not  just a thermometer. that registers them but makes no change at all.    If people bore me, I first try to help them escape their boredom.  If I can not help them, I simply go my way lest I become infected by them against my own will.

I will be eighty-four next month, but my entire life has been a glorious adventure.!!!!  I lived an enchanted life with the kids in my neighborhood when I was growing up!!  We used just our imaginations to create instant wonders!   I experienced the  Great Depression, World War II, the Hippie era and right up  to now there has rarely been a dull  moment so how can heaven possibly be boring.?

I am thoroughly convinced that we make our own heaven and hell, on earth   anyway and boredom will certainly play no part in my future.  There is so much I want to know, to read, to experience ,and I believe that eternity will offer the same opportunities for learning  and  everlasting growth that we enjoy now right here on earth.

I could go on and on about this, but I think you get the idea.  As the poet says, "A man's reach should exceed his grasp or what's a heaven for?"  Get the picture? I have some friends who have been bored since day one and quite naturally seek the solace that the grave will offer them.  Extinction trumps Resurrection for them big time!!!!!!! And for good reason!!!!!

L.P.