More thoughts on eternity...

This post is the love child of the two proceeding it.  I recently had a conversation about eternity with one of the campus ministers from Faith Community Church.

Campus ministers from Faith hang out on sidewalks during school hours at the University of Arizona and ask passing students if they have time for a quick survey.  The first question on the survey: "Do you believe you are going to Heaven when you die?"

I used to answer with a quick and sure, "Yes."  I would try to be friendly as they asked the rest of their questions, telling them that I think I'm going to heaven because I have a relationship with Jesus and that, yes, I do belong to a church.  After that they would thank me for my time and tell me to have a great day.

I soon got tired of having this exact same conversation with every campus minister that stopped me, so I began to look for ways to take the conversation in a different direction.  I would ask them how they became a Christian and try subtly to make a point to them that most people find Christ through personal relationships, not through people they meet on the sidewalk.

The other night, I answered their first question, "I don't know."  She gave me a puzzled look, and I began telling her how I thought maybe Christ would restore this place, that there would be a New Heaven and a New Earth and this New Earth would feel heavenly because it would be Eden restored to its former glory, but it would look pretty similar to what we know of Earth now.

She grouped me in with the Lost and Searching.  I could see it in her eyes and hear it in her further questions. I appreciated that she played along for a bit and participated in my discussion, but when I told her I had to go she asked if she could pray for clarity for me.

This is the "I'm on the correct side of the line" attitude I'm talking about.  She didn't pray for clarity for Christians in general, she didn't even pray for her own clarity as well as mine.  She asked God to "make my paths straight" and "clear up any questions I had."  She told me, through a prayer, that I was wrong.

That's quite a few assumptions for someone who just met me on the sidewalk.

I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, that he suffered on a cross to reconcile all of humanity and creation back to God.  I believe that following this faith is the best way to live (obviously, or I wouldn't find worth in living this way).  I believe that because of my faith and the fact that through Christ my soul has been reconciled to God, I will live forever with Him.  I have centered my life on these beliefs because I think they are true, right, and good.

But here's the thing.  I don't know for sure.  That's why it's called faith.  I shouldn't blindly believe, but even after questioning and wrestling and studying and praying, I can't know with 100% certainty that I am right and anyone who doesn't agree with me is wrong.  So neither should I act like I am right and everyone who doesn't agree with me is wrong.