Bringing Heaven to Earth

As we begin our journey through the season of Easter, I want to spend some time in the Daily Devos reflecting on what it means to live as Resurrection people.  

For the Early Church, the story of the Resurrection was the foundation of what it means to be a follower of Jesus.  All of his teaching, ministry, and miracles were seen by early Christians through the lens of the Resurrection. 

For the first centuries of the Christian movement, Jesus-followers held on to the defiant hope that the world could be made new, that evil and death didn't have the last word, and they were willing to lay down their very lives, if need be, to follow Christ's example.  

Theologian NT Wright wrote the following in his book Surprised By Hope, and I find it quite beautiful, but also incredibly instructive: 

“Jesus's resurrection is the beginning of God's new project, not to snatch people away from earth to heaven, but to colonize earth with the life of heaven."

Wright's words resonate with me because I have come to understand that, as Resurrection people, those of us who call ourselves Christians are tasked with doing all that we can to bring light and life to the world.  

The old children's song "This Little Light of Mine" conveys a deep theological message about what it means to live this way:  "This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine... Hide it under a bushel?  No!  I'm going to let it shine, let it shine, let it shine." 

So what does it look like to let our lights shine?  I think it means that we do our best to live as if heaven is right here on earth.  We move in the world in a heart-forward way, valuing what lasts forever: peace, hope, joy, and love.  

It means embracing a life in service to others.  It means trusting that there is new life on the other side of all our losses and all our griefs.  It's the kind of life that holds on to the hope that God is still at work in the world and has not abandoned it.  

When we do our best to show the world what Resurrection brings, we often discover that we have been transformed in the process.  Our love deepens, and our focus on living a life of joy broadens.  We can truly learn what it means to live as our best and truest selves.  

During this Easter season, I encourage you to carry the Resurrection with you wherever you go.  Make a point to be a source of light and life to those you encounter.  Don't let the cynicism of the culture we inhabit win the day.  

We are the instruments of God's kingdom of peace and new life, right here and now.  When we pray the words in the Lord's Prayer, "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven," we need to know that God's means for doing just that is us.  

So, go and bring heaven to earth today and every day from this day.  May you experience the power of Resurrection within you and around you.  May you know that shining your light is actually dispelling the darkness.  

And may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you now and always.  Amen.  

Prayer: 

God, I want to be an instrument of your light and love in the world, but I don't often know how.  Instill in me a sense of renewal and restoration--the kind that Resurrection brings.  Show me where my light is needed most.  Amen.  

Reflection Questions: 

1. Where in your daily life do you sense an invitation to “bring heaven to earth,” and how might you respond in a tangible way this week?

2. What are the fears, losses, or sources of cynicism that threaten to dim your light—and how can the hope of the Resurrection reshape your response to them?

3. In what ways have you experienced transformation as you’ve sought to love, serve, or bring light to others, and how is God continuing that work within you?