Conversation-Heaven part 5

So glad you are joining me for yet another post in my series about Heaven(you can read the first post in the series here)!!

So I wanted to ask you if you have ever thought about the type of conversations we might have in heaven? Sure, we've thought about who we would want to meet and certainly talk to, but will we still have deep conversations in heaven where we will get to learn more about Jesus, faith, etc...for eternity?

Well my short story today imagines what some of those conversations might look like over a candlelight dinner(because I love candle light). I hope you enjoy!

The apostle Paul walked quickly through the golden streets of heaven. He walked past a meadow of flowers, the singing choir of the angels, heaven’s library, and a sparkling lake. These were all some of his favorite places to habit in heaven, but for right now they were not his immediate destination. He continued to walk until he arrived at the home of a good friend. Her name was Lydia of Thyatira, although many had heard of her through the story of her baptism in Philippi.

Lydia had invited Paul and some others to a meal at her heavenly abode that evening, and Paul was the first to arrive. As she ushered him into her living room, Paul smiled at the sight of the candle-lit room. Lydia had always proffered candles over electricity. Many people, who had lived on earth before the time of Thomas Edison and his kind, became very excited about the electricity they found on their arrival in heaven. But Lydia had never lost her love for candle light.

“Hello, Paul.” Lydia greeted him.

Paul returned the greeting and gave her a quick hug. They both sat comfortably in Lydia’s living room and talked for quite a while. Paul had arrived early for that very reason. Their conversation was finally interrupted when a knock came on Lydia’s door. She went to open it and found Miriam standing there. Miriam had only arrived in heaven a couple of months ago, but she already fit in like she had always been there. This was typical, since heaven didn’t follow the time of earth in any way whatsoever. Heaven was outside of time, and was much less complicated that way.

Shortly after Miriam arrived, the last of the guests followed. First were Caleb, his wife, Cathy, and their son, Andrew. Lastly came the angel, Michael, and the little girl, Sophie, who had spent the majority of her time in heaven with the angels. After all had arrived, they made their way into Lydia’s dining room. A beautiful chandelier hung above Lydia’s table. And it was holding 25 lit candles. Lydia may have preferred her upbringing in a poorer home lit only by candles, but she had instantly fallen in love with chandeliers upon her arrival in heaven.

They were all quiet as they began to eat, but Miriam asked a question before very much time had passed.

“Do you ever think of Jesus as a sort of Mother Teresa?”

Everyone at the table just looked at her for a moment. If she would have looked closely, Miriam would have seen that they all had a different expression on their face. Andrew and Sophie were busy trying to find the parallel, Caleb and Cathy’s expressions showed that they agreed with her, Lydia was deep in thought, Paul’s eyes held amusement, and Michael carried a look of utter incredulity.

After a moment, Cathy spoke. “I can definitely see the parallel. I mean Jesus is so kind and considerate, and of course He has a wonderful love for children.”

“That’s what I mean,” Miriam said. “I always saw Mother Teresa as one who just radiated love. And that was sure what I felt when Jesus first touched me in front of the pearly gates. Just an awesome sense of love and tenderness, I have never felt anything like it.”

Paul spoke up. “You are both right, in that Jesus is filled with “love and tenderness,” as you put it. And also that Mother Teresa has inherited through her faith some attributes of Jesus. However…”

“Jesus isn’t Mother Teresa, he’s William Wallace!” Michael interrupted.

Everyone at the Table gawked at him, all except Paul, that is. Paul burst out laughing. His head fell back and a deep hearty chuckle escaped his lips. In fact, he laughed so hard a couple of tears squeezed out the corner of his eyes. Lydia too began to laugh, although her laughter was a little more controlled.

“Might I ask what is so funny?” Caleb asked.

Paul did his best to regain his composure before answering. “I think it is very common for people to think of Jesus as loving and kind. For women these are wonderful attributes, but to a guy it often sounds wish-washy.”

”I think you will see this in the churches on earth today,” Lydia said. “How many men do you see in church, compared to the amount of women? One of the big reasons for this is because the Jesus that churches today teach is not a Jesus that men are looking for.”

“But what did you mean, Michael, when you said Jesus was William Wallace?” Cathy asked.

Before Michael could respond, Andrew piped up. “I bet he meant that Jesus was a warrior, not a sissy. Like when he turned over all the tables in the temple. I don’t think Mother Teresa would do that.”

This received many laughs, and Michael thumped Andrew heartily on the back. When the laughter died down, Sophie too had something to add.

“Thomas the angel told me that the people that were coming to get Jesus to kill him, that they fell over because they were struck by Jesus’ presence or something.”

“I don’t remember ever reading that in the Bible.” Miriam said.

“It’s in there,” Michael said. “You’ll find it in the book of John, chapter 18, verse 6. 'As soon then as he said unto them, I AM, they went backward and fell to the ground." 

All at the table were quiet as they took this in. Finally Paul spoke up.

“That’s kind of astounding. I mean the sheer force of Jesus’ presence knocked them all over. That certainly sounds more like William Wallace than Mother Teresa to me.”

“That reminds me of a poem I once read,” Caleb said. “Can I share it?”

“Of course.” Paul replied.

“Well it goes something like this.

Ha’ we lost the goodliest fere o’ all

For the priests and the gallows tree?

Aye lover he was of brawny men,

O’ ships and the open sea.

When they came wi’ a host to take Our Man

His smile was good to see,

“First let these go!” qou’ our Goodly Fere

“Or I’ll see you damned!” says he.

Oh we drunk his “Hale” in the good red wine

When we last made company,

No capon priest was the Goodly Fere

But a man o’ men was he.

I ha’ seen him drive a hundred men

Wi’ a bundle o’ cords sent free,

That they took the high and holy house

For their pawn and treasury…

I ha’ seen him cow a thousand men

On the hills of Galilee,

They whined as he walked out calm between,

Wi’ his eyes like the gray o’ the sea,

Like the sea that brooks no voyaging

With the winds unleashed and free,

Like the sea that he calmed at Genseret

Wi’ twey words spoke’ suddenly.

A master of men was the Goodly Fere,

A mate of the wind and sea

If they think they ha’ slain our Goodly Fere

They are fools eternally.”

Paul nodded along with the poem as only one who’s heard it before will do and spoke up when Caleb was finished reciting. “Thank you for sharing that, Caleb. That is one of my favorite poems of the 20^th century. I think the author, Ezra Pound, did a beautiful job of illustrating what Simon the Zealot, an apostle of Jesus, might have been thinking at the time.

“What does “fere” mean?” Sophie asked.

“It means friend, or companion.” Cathy responded.

“So I’m not sure if my original question was answered,” Miriam said. “Is Jesus like Mother Teresa, or as Michael says, is He like William Wallace?”

“I think the important thing,” Lydia said, “is to remember that Jesus is God. And we are told that we are made in the image of God. Thus, in a way, we are made in the image of Jesus, both men and women.”

“So men are created in the image of God in that they inherited His wild spirit, and warrior type qualities?” Cathy asked.

“Exactly,” Michael said.

“And women are made in God’s image in what way, other than His love?” Miriam asked.

“You just gave part of the answer right there,” Paul said. “The deepest longing of the female heart is to feel loved and cherished; they are vulnerable in that way. God is the same way, He has a desperate desire to love and be loved. And women also model after God in that they are beautiful in spirit. This is what you felt, Miriam, when Jesus first touched you. He was filled with an inner beauty that you felt in His touch.”

“So essentially,” Lydia said. “Women embody the beauty, mystery, and the tender vulnerability of God.”

“Even little women, like me?” Sophie asked.

“Especially little women, like you.” Michael answered, his eyes twinkling.

************************

Jesus walked slowly down the golden streets. He watched all that was going on around him. He saw a young couple dancing on the lake; he saw a group of young boys taking

back flip lessons from Methuselah. He smiled when he saw that the young boy, Jacob, was now Methuselah’s assistant.

When Jesus turned his gaze back towards the street, he saw a young girl coming quickly his way. It was the delightful little girl by the name of Sophie. Trailing behind her was the slower walking angel, Michael. Sophie ran up to Jesus and took is hand. Jesus knelt down to her level and kissed Her cheek.

“Hello, Sophie. What’s all the excitement?”

“Lydia and Michael, they told me that I am made in your image. They say that because I’m a girl I have your beauty, and mystery, and something about tenderness and wanting to be loved.”

Jesus looked up at Michael.

“We were all eating together at Lydia’s” Michael said. “Miriam asked if we ever thought of you as Mother Teresa and I said you were more like William Wallace. Sophie was there as well, and heard all of the rather long ensuing conversation.”

“Yeah, and Andrew said you weren’t a sissy.” Sophie said. “He said that Mother Teresa wouldn’t tip over the tables at a temple. And Thomas told me that people fell over in your presence, and Miriam said she thought you were kind and tender. It was kind of weird, but Paul and Lydia explained that we were all made in your image, so men got your wildness, and girls got other things like love and stuff. And Michael said that little women like me definitely have all those things too.”

This was all said rather quickly, and Sophie only took breaks to suck in deep breaths of air before continuing. By the time she was finished both Jesus and Michael were trying very hard not to laugh. Jesus knew this was very important to the small girl, but His shoulders shook with laughter none the less.

“They were all right, Sophie. You are definitely like me. You have a very big heart, so big I bet an elephant could fit in it.”

Sophie’s jaw dropped, and she took of running to tell the good news to some other unsuspecting person. Jesus and Michael were still chuckling after Sophie was too far away to see. But Michael quickly turned serious.

“Do men really think of you as wish-washy?” he asked Jesus.

A look of pain entered Jesus’ eyes. A look that could only be made after years and years of false accusations and betrayal.

“Yes, Michael. The things that are being taught in church these days are just not appealing to men. All they see for them is a cage that they think God will be placing them in; a cage of dos and don’ts. What they don’t see is that I just want to set them free from the cage they are already in and place their feet on the beginning of an adventure.

Michael shook his head and squeezed Jesus’ shoulder before walking quietly away. Jesus watched him before returning to his stroll down the golden streets.

What type of conversations do you hope for in heaven? And who with? This is your chance to imagine with me, in the comments below, as we set our minds on the things to come!

Other Posts in this series:

Imaginings-Heaven part 1
Till I See You Again-Heaven part 2
Angels-Heaven part 3
What are You Excited For(Guest Post from Made Beautiful)
Out of The Mouth of Babes-Heaven part 6