Easter seems to be an ideal time to ponder heaven and the glory of the life that never ends. After all, it was on Easter when God pulled back the veil and allowed man to see the grandest of all miracles first-hand.
I have always loved watching the sunset. I do so every chance I can. There is something about it that stirs my soul. I sometimes sit down and watch as the sky becomes a tapestry of ever-changing colours. Blue, white, yellow, gold, red, orange, pink, and purple all weave together to create something so beautiful and so glorious that it is transcendent. When you look at it for a brief instant it is like you are getting a glimpse of Heaven.
It isn’t just sunsets, though, that can give you a glimpse of Heaven. With a loving heart and a grateful spirit, you can see that they are everywhere. They are in a baby’s laugh, a little girl’s smile, the wag of a dog’s tail, and the loud purr of a contented cat. They are in an uplifting song, and a beautiful painting. They are in the first flower of Spring, cool breezes on a Summer day, the colours of the Autumn leaves, and the first snow of Winter. They are in a heartfelt hug, a gentle touch, a caring kiss, and an encouraging word. They are in every loving thought, every prayer from the soul, every simple act of kindness, every single act of charity, and every joyful "Thank You" you give to God.
I have heard stories that give me chills, like the one of a small dying child who heard the bells of heaven all throughout the day of his death. Just recently I heard of a colleague’s mother who suddenly reached up and just as she finished her final prayer and said “Amen!” – she died.
I heard another one about a man who, as he was slipping away, kept whispering the same sentence over and over. “You’re cold, Dad?” his son asked. “No!” his father replied softly but firmly. “I see gold, gold, GOLD!!” And then he was gone.
A priest friend of mine once told me that he has observed that in the 30 plus years he’s been visiting with the dying, the introduction of morphine has actually decreased these types of incidents.
“Drugs can dull the senses,” he said. “But I believe there is a very thin wall between the here and the hereafter, especially at the hour of death. I have had many people ask me to stop talking – so that they can listen to what they see happening in Heaven!”
Have you ever wondered what the dying see just before Jesus welcomes them home?
What does this have to do with Easter?
Everything!
Because Jesus defeated death, we don’t have to fear or fight it. Because He took the pain and the penalty we deserve, we can look forward to life eternal with Him. The Bible gives us hints about what Heaven will be like, but there isn’t a ton of detail. Perhaps that’s why it’s so exciting to catch a glimpse of what awaits us from another person, even while we’re still here on earth.
Anything that brings us closer to love gives us a glimpse of Heaven. Any act that helps another soul gives us a glimpse of Heaven. Any thought that makes us more one with God gives us a glimpse of Heaven. In fact, our highest calling in this life is to bring as much Heaven as we can down here to Earth. When our hearts are full of Heaven, then Heaven will be our home in this life and in the next.
After all, as the late John Paul II so eloquently once said, as Christians, “We are the Easter people – and hallelujah is our song!”
Sources
A Glimpse of Heaven - Christopher Martin
Walking the Path of Love - Joseph Mazzella
Jim Daly’s Blog
Glimpses of Heaven - Trudy Harris
A New Heaven and a New Earth - Reclaiming Biblical Eschatology - J. Richard Middleton