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Devotional Comments
John Donne, in Sermons, refers to the ancient practice of reporting that the unknown areas on maps were places lived in by giants, witches, and wild beasts. He relates this to spirituality:
We travel as far as we can into the spiritual life with the guides available to us. Then we can only imagine what is beyond. We say heaven is inhabited with angels and archangels, with cherubim and seraphim. We can look no farther into it with these eyes.
Donne writes that in images of heaven the "Holy Spirit accommodates natural human affections." That is, heaven, as persons have and do image it, even in Scripture, is shaped to fit the ideals of human persons.
To take these ideals as mere fantasy would be incorrect, for there is Truth within the longings the Spirit implants in the pictures of paradise. However, to take these human longings literally would be to reduce heaven to human longings.
Much better it is to move through the images of heaven, or paradise, and appreciate the Mystery beyond it all. The images of heaven point to; to literalize the images is to magnify the finger and miss the Mystery.
Frankly, we can enjoy heaven right now, as we enter into the experience of Eternal Life. But, we cannot figure heaven out; so, better to confess our ignorance than claim to know more than we do.
Reflection
What does heaven mean to you?
How can you enjoy heaven now?
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