Where does life end?

A dear friend of mine (Russ) had some recent thoughts that deal with something I've been trying to deal with. It brings me to thoughts of a truly EVERLASTING life. If you live a "good" life, it just keep going and going and going. Still, what if you don't? What is a "good" life? Does it have to be Jesus's life? Buddha's? Krishna's? Muhammad's? Bush's?--whoops, that's not fair.

Anyway, here is what Russ was thinking about:

Watched an episode of the show "House" last night. The title character is a real horses-rear end of a doctor, one of those guys who never lets you be right even when you are right.

In the episode, he discussed a near-death experience he had. While he was dead for more than a minute on the surgery table, he saw visions. He chose to interpret those visions, or for what is for others white light or a blue tunnell, as chemical reactions happening in the brain. He said that he saw this as the most hopeful interpretation.

A student asked him, "It's hopeful to believe that there is nothing beyond death?"

He replied, "I find it hopeful to believe that this life is not just a test."

And here I think was a well spoken critique on modern American Christianity. Dr. House has got it right. The God who would turn life on earth into a test for an eternally perfect existence leaves me shuddering. Pass and the reward shall be great. Fail and you will pay forever.

Truthfully, I'm not sure where I stand on the subject of white lights and visions and blue tunnells after death, and personally, I'm not sure a decision one way or another would affect my life much. And I'm not altogether sure what I specifically believe about hell.

But I do know this. The way of Jesus as I see it does not lead to some seperate heavenly experience. It leads to a recovered Eden here on earth. Eden where things were "good" to quote the Big Guy. And to step into this way of Jesus is not to be given a "get out of hell free" card. It is to sign up for God's great restoration project, being mercy, speaking for justice, being a source of compassion and generosity and love. In other words, God wants to make His good desires tangible on the little bit of earth that is my realm of influence - through me.

Is there a "good" existence out there for us after we die? I believe so. But the point is that heaven is not the point. It's not about eternal life; it's about life. It's about becoming a person of goodness now, not so that I can experience some eternal bliss, but because it's just good. And maybe someday, when this life runs it's course, this life of goodness can continue on in it's next reality - what I believe is "the reality".

So, some glad morning when this life is o'er I hope to fly away, but in the meantime, I'll keep on trying to cultivate love into the back forty of my life and praying the prayer and doing my best to live the prayer.