Live like there’s nothing to hide

Last week I preached from Revelation 21:10-14. This vision of Jerusalem coming out of heaven from God – heaven crashing into earth – is certainly challenging me to realise that the Kin’dom of Heaven is “now or never”! I have given too much energy to trying to squeeze people into heaven when they die. Far too little consideration has been given to living in the Kin’dom right now…

For instance, if all my secrets are going to be known in heaven (when I die) surely it’s Kin’dom living to begin to de-secret my life right now… in preparation for the grand unveiling. If there are people I really can’t stand – but God is going to welcome them to his Table – surely it’s Kin’dom living to start making peace and treating them with respect today.

I can’t be sure what life is going to be like after I die, but there are a few things that I am sure about… Life with God means:

• Worshipping like there’s no tomorrow
  (with passion and without fear or inhibition)
• Sharing with others like your life depends on it
  (because we begin to realise that our life does in fact depend on others)
• Living like there’s nothing to hide
  (no more blame and no more shame means no need for secrets!)

These statements describe how I imagine “eternity with God” to be like. But they are just as relevant (if not more important) to my life right now. It’s now or never.

As Richard Rohr always reminds me, “It’s heaven all the way to heaven… and it’s hell all the way to hell”!