A few months ago I was in a discussion about longing for heaven. It wasn't just about the fact that we're longing for heaven. It was about the things, people, ideas on earth that makes us recognize that we long for heaven. Some people mentioned that there are certain songs or certain types of music that stir something inside of them--something awakens that realizes there's more of that. Some people mentioned the beauty of nature as that agent of longing.
One person mentioned something that really struck me--obviously, since I've been thinking about it ever since. He mentioned relationships, friendships. We experience this longing for deep relationships with other people. We hear and read about what fellowship in the church should look like, what gospel community should look like, what the body of Christ should look like... so we search for it, we long for it, we attempt to have it. But, we always fall short. Either the frienships aren't reciprocated. Or sin damages the community. Or it just isn't quite what we thought it would be.
So we keep longing.
Not because are friendships aren't good. We're longing for real fellowship. Friendship that isn't hindered by sin. The kind of intimacy in community for which we were created. We long for more.
Honestly, I have no idea what heaven is going to be like. I don't know what "friendships" will look like, or what kind of "community" we'll have. I don't know if these words will even make sense in eternity. But I'm pretty sure that all of our longings for this real fellowship will be met there.
And if there weren't hundreds of reasons to be excited and hopeful and longing for heaven already... here's just another one that keeps me hoping. :)
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