22^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, C       September 2, 2007

About thirty years ago a Catholic author wrote a popular book titled, The God I Don’t Believe In.  The book consists entirely of sentences starting with the words, “I don’t believe in a God who…” For example, “I don’t believe in a God who condemns innocent, unbaptized, babies to limbo for all eternity.” “I don’t believe in a God who makes young people die because God loves them so much He can’t bear not to have them in heaven with Him.”  Or, “I don’t believe in a God who blesses war and helps whoever thinks they are the good guys triumph against their enemies.”  “I don’t believe in a God who helps Notre Dame beat Boston College in football.  Or, “I don’t believe in a fragile God who can’t handle our ugly negative emotions of anger or rage or doubt or despair when we dump them on God in prayer.”

The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews makes the same point.  The Israelites mistakenly thought that God was to be feared, that God sent plagues and famines and droughts on his people when they didn’t tow the line, and that God struck people dead when they dared to disobey the commandments.  In contrast, the Letter to the Hebrews says that we Christians don’t believe in a God like that.  Our God has nothing but positive, attractive qualities. God is gentle, loving, and forgiving.  God has all the best qualities of a perfect mother and father and spouse and closest friend magnified infinitely, to make us ecstatically happy forever.

Unending life with God is called heaven.  Heaven is so far better than the best things in this life that we can’t begin to imagine it.  And, if you imagine anything about God or heaven that appears to you as boring or dull or ordinary or unexciting, then, that is not God or heaven.

The early Christians latched onto the image of heaven as a perfect city, a perfect Jerusalem; they imagined it as a lavish banquet surrounded by countless angels.  That excited them and spurred them on to live on earth the life of Jesus according to the Gospel so they would someday share fully in his resurrected life.  I suspect that thinking of heaven as a perfect city or a lavish banquet isn’t enough for us.  We need much more than that to call it heaven.

Several religions are convinced that heaven is the best thing that humans can imagine.  Both Islam and the Latter Day Saints or Mormons believe heaven is the perfect earthly paradise, containing an unending supply of all earthly pleasures.  Frankly, if that’s all heaven is, I’m not interested.  I’m looking forward to being totally surprised by meeting God, far, far better than anything I can imagine.  

Since God is infinite, I think of heaven as discovering and enjoying new facets, new dimensions, and new delights of God at every moment for all eternity.  That makes me want to work hard every day to get to heaven.  What do you think heaven is?  Is your idea of heaven exciting enough to make you want to work hard every day to get there?         

[Introduction to the First Reading]

Two centuries before Christ a Jewish teacher named Sirach wrote a handbook of practical advice for upper class youth, whose Jewish heritage was threatened by the strong influence of the Greek empire.  In the following passage Sirach offers his students five short, somewhat disconnected wise sayings. 

[Introduction to the Second Reading]

The Letter to the Hebrews is addressed to early Christians who had formerly been Jews.   The letter compares and contrasts their new faith with their familiar Judaism.  Today's text reminds the converts how the Israelites at Mt. Sinai encountered a fearful and invisible God.  In contrast, Christians draw near to a comforting God who became visible in Jesus.