Ethan and I sat last night just talking about what we learned from the book and what specific points really spoke to us. There were several, but one in particular struck a chord with me.
In his book, Bell suggests that maybe heaven and hell are not only literal destinations, but they are also realities that we can experience here and now. That being a part of the Kingdom of God is not just a physical place that we go to after we've done our time on this earth, but perhaps it is all around us waiting for us to participate right now. Often times we become too concerned with doing the right things now...to get to heaven later. Instead, why don't we do the right things now, to experience heaven now?
I love that! How exciting, that we not only get an invitation to heaven, but we can get our hands dirty and be a part of building it. This thought has me asking myself "What am I doing to participate in the Kingdom of God now? Or, am I just waiting at the bus stop for the next ride to those streets of gold over yonder?".
God calls us for more than that. God calls us to be a part of something big that's happening right now! He calls us to smile at the stranger who is going through something we could only imagine. He calls us to forgive the person who has done us wrong. He calls us to step up and commit ourselves to building his church whether it be in the walls of an old car dealership or on the streets of Atlanta.
He's calling us to be a part of His Kingdom right now.
Gives a whole new meaning to heaven on Earth, doesn't it?
