Sunday, May 15, 2005

Culture of heaven

Friday night I went to this called Art on the Rocks. I was all pumped about going a while back. That was also when I thought that I had a date to go with, and perhaps it would have been more enjoyable with a cute, cool girl, but I kind of doubt it. Too many people with their heads up their asses to be fun. Anyway aside from a lot of people that I could have done without being around there was a great singer songwriter playing. Griffin House; I saw him a while back at another show in birmingham and he is really the only reason that I went to this thing anyway. It was worth going to to hear him again, but unfortunatly I think my two friends Allen, David, and I were the only people there actually listening to him. Anyway long story short it was an altogether unenjoyable experience barring the great music and two good friends that went with me in lue of my being shat upon and not having a date.
Saturday I went to a wedding. Some friends of mine were playing the music. These guys are incredible one plays piano like no ones business, the other is a great guitar player and has a voice that I would kill to have. The other guy I don't know well at all but he plays upright bass and was taught by Edgar Myer. Needless to say it sounded great. They played a Myer piece called sliding down that almost made me cry. I sat there and thought, "man these guys are so much better than anything I heard last night...and its free and not so many snobby people." I also couldn't help but think what heaven will be like. I believe that it's going to be very much like the world we live in today in that people will have stuff to do, jobs and whatnot. Talents and skills and all that too. I think that we'll live in cities and get from place to place. And the great part will be that there's no sin and everything will be done in perfect harmony with God. No broken relationship with Him perfect communion forever. I sat there in that church where I saw as clearly as ever a picture of Christ and the church in the wedding cerimony and listened to three guys my own age play some of the sweetest music I'd ever heard and all I could think of is what the culture of heaven will be like. Like I said I believe that time will look much like it does now, people doing stuff and all that jobs and whatnot, but I also tend to think that there will be art to be made, and music to be played, and that there will be cultural events theatre and the like in heaven. There's going to be culture and what a culture it will be. People from all tribes toungues and nations all enjoying the gifts that eachother have, all with no envy, no hate, no competition, and all in perfect communion with God. The culture of heaven. My heart aches to be there. Sadly its only when I stop to think of it that I feel this way. Ordinarily I just pasify myself with video games, the internet, playing guitar, or wishing my life were different. Its such a waste honestly. Eternal life starts with Christ and for me as a believer thats already started.
I suppose its my job as a believer to begin to bring that heavenly culture to rest here on earth. Isn't that how Jesus taught his disciples to pray, ""Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven" Heaven is set as the model. That model or that ideal is to be brought to earth. Thats what scripture teaches, Im just slow to learn. All this time Ive been wondering what the culture of heave will be like and the answer was right there sitting in that church listening to those guys play. They played well, they played with no competition amongst eachother. They played not for themselves to be seen, but for the people to enjoy and though they might not have known it they played that Christ might be seen, heard, felt, and experienced in the music they made. That's the culture of heaven...at least some of it. And my heart aches for it.

1 comment:

Amanda said...

I still get excited to think about heaven being more a perfected earth than your own personal mansion on a cloud, and that we will gloify Him there through beautiful things like music and art as well as with our perfected bodies and lives. it's new thinking for me, and i love it. it makes the believer anticipate meeting their savior even more. i like hearing your thoughts about it, jason. keep 'em coming.