Opus 2024-338: Now or Later

Christians argue about a lot of things.  It’s funny how they are human like everyone else.  Some of the arguments are silly, some are serious.  One of the things we can’t seem to nail down is what happens to us when we die.  I’m not saying there is any doubt about our eternal destiny, I’m talking about the timing.

One side believes that when we die, we immediately go into the presence of Jesus.  We see this as the Bosom of Abraham, Paradise, or any other name you want to give it.  It means that the aware part of our being is immediately transported into the presence of the Almighty, and we begin to enjoy eternity right away.

There are other people who believe in what is called soul sleep.  This means that our awareness is suspended and does not return to our bodies until the time of the resurrection.  At that point, we are raised from the grave, and rise into the air to meet Jesus as he returns.

Which is it?  Is it now or is it later?  It probably doesn’t really matter.  It’s just something we discussed because we don’t want to do the dishes.  It gets our mind off of more serious things because either way we believe that we are going to spend eternity with Jesus.  Some people get upset about being in a grave for a period of time and being eaten by worms.  How can you be with Jesus when he returns if worms have been chewing on you?  The point is that as far as you’re concerned, if that is the way it comes down, you will not be aware of the time that you spend in the grave.

If you’ve never had any kind of surgical procedure, you may have a hard time understanding this.  Recently, I went through the joys of a colonoscopy.  They take you into a room and give you an IV, have the anesthesiologist come and talk to you.  They wheel you down corridors and put you in a room then start hooking you up to all these instruments.  They were sitting there, talking to you and suddenly, you were in a strange room, staring at the ceiling.  You were surrounded by machines, laying on your side.  Now you’re by yourself, on your back, looking at the lights.  There is no awareness of what went on in between.  It’s really strange.  I think if medical science can do this, so can God.

I don’t know which it is.  I could probably give you verses that seem to go both ways.  Honestly it’s one of those things that is not really important.  It’s like worrying about whether it’s better to have green beans for dinner or spinach.  Should I eat an apple or a banana?  It doesn’t really make any difference.  Either way Jesus is going to meet me and I’m gonna be so overjoyed.  Any delays will not matter.

Hope to see you there, now or later.

homo unius libri