Heaven on Earth

AM Psalm 33 • Ecclesiasticus 10:1-8,12-18 • James 5:7-10
PM Psalm 107:1-32 • Micah 4:1-5 • Revelation 21:1-7

Since I was young, I’ve always thought of the book of Revelation as a crazy story involving dragons and fire and other various apocalyptic imagery. I am far from a biblical scholar and if I’m being truly honest the only time I have the opportunity to really read and reflect on scripture is with the morning reflection. So, one can imagine my surprise when I read today’s readings from revelation because, quite frankly, it was so “normal” based on the other books’ standards. These verses describe “a new heaven and a new earth,” where God will dwell among the peoples and all of our earthly troubles will be taken away.

I know I do not have to explain that our country and our world have experienced immense death over the last 15 months. The pandemic continues to force loss into our lives even when we feel as though we really cannot handle anymore.

When someone dies, I think many of us tend to question what “happens” to them afterwards—is it darkness? Do we go live amongst our relatives who have passed before us? This reading describes heaven as such a quiet, serene experience, where we will experience peace in the deepest part of our being. I can’t help but be comforted by it, and I hope others are comforted by it as well while continuing to navigate our losses.

Written by Tel Johnson

Tel grew up attending St. Paul’s. She currently lives in Little Rock with her cat, Hershel. She works at Arkansas Children’s Hospital and will start medical school in the fall.