Submitted by Rob on August 4, 2009 - 11:10am.

I request that you lend me an ear because I have a question for you: What does heaven look like? As a young girl I thought about this many times with two primary images coming to mind. One was a castle with long, pink and blue passageways lined with doors and on every door was someone’s name. These were our private rooms in heaven. The second was the Shire with all my pets roaming around in the fields. But there is something wrong with these images. I wonder if you can see it? Because I couldn’t. (Read more . . . )

However, while at Ihduhapi Team Building Center, I think I saw what was wrong with that picture I always carried in my mind.

We drove for almost forty-five minutes through the country, watching the scenery slip by. Maybe I’m sentimental, but it seemed to me to be the embodiment of my life. I just sit around, watching life slip through my fingers without any hope of getting up again.

But I can get up again.

Once we were there, I lost track of how many times I fell. We played games, we learned each other’s faces, and we saw the good and the bad in each other that we all try to hide. And we fell down. The fear behind getting back up is falling again and the fear of falling is the fear of not being able to get up again. But every time we fell, someone’s hand was there to catch us.

In the reflection we had before we left, someone said that they saw how we tried to do things on our own but as we realized we couldn’t do it alone, we reached out to each other. This was displayed as we all tried to cross the “poison yogurt.” Cords connected a number of trees together, only a few inches off the ground. As our leaders spotted for us, we had to (as a group) make it all the way from point A to point B. If anyone fell, we all had to go back. It was go it together or don’t go it at all. When we went one at a time, we couldn’t make it past the first cord. So we began experimenting. In the end, we crossed the cords in groups of three, all holding hands to support those in front of us and those behind. How many times was I alone on the rope, about to fall, when someone called out to me with an outstretched hand? And how many times did I do the same? We would never have gotten lunch if we hadn’t helped each other.

But we didn’t want to at first. We thought we could do it alone. Can you see the problem with my images yet?

After some more games where we fought with each other and maneuvered away from lashing hands, we went on to the greatest challenge of all: the Bridge of Commitment. In this challenge, you have to climb up a ladder about thirty feet and into a pine tree. There, cords stretch out to form a triangle between the first tree and two others. The point of this challenge is to lean into your partner and walk out as far as you can, forming a bridge with your bodies. If you slip, it’s up to your belay team to keep you from falling.

I don’t know about all of you, but I am not very happy thirty feet off the ground.

Elizabeth and I were partners. Neither of us likes heights very much.

At the time, all I wanted to do was comfort her. Even though I was shaking so badly I could barely stand, the thing in the front of my mind was how badly Elizabeth was shaking. It took a lot to get out on that line. We were both breathing so hard… But everyone below was calling out to us with encouragement.

The fear of falling is the criticism we’ll get for making a mistake. But as we clung to each other up on that line, pretending we were waitresses in a restaurant, there was no criticism. There was only encouragement.

We made it out about four steps before we came down together. I was holding Elizabeth in my arms as they lowered us to the ground. When we touched down, both our belay teams came over to hug us and congratulate us on making it out so far. On facing our fears and pushing our limits.

So what does heaven look like and what was the problem with my images?

The last will be first. Why would you need a private room in heaven? Isn’t that making it the same as earth? Without each other, we’ll fall before we make it to the second cord. The problem with my images was that there was no one there but me.

So, again, what does heaven look like?

What I came to realize as I faced my fears and as I used my skills to help others was that heaven is a place where race, gender, orientation, clothing style, ability and everything else superficial doesn’t matter anymore. It’s when we’re all together, helping each other, that we get a glimpse of what heaven really looks like.

It’s a place of laughter, a place of encouragement, and a place where no one can fall without a hand being stretched out for them to grab.

These words are so easy to agree with. After all, isn’t that what we’re told ever Sunday? But it’s different to experience it firsthand. The words take shape. Maybe it’s the shape of a hand, maybe that of a dove, or maybe that of your best friend.

When we were safely on the ground again, Elizabeth said that while she was up there all she saw was God and me. Jokingly, I said “aw, and here I thought I was God.” To my surprise, she said, “but you are God.” As I thought about it, I saw that what she said was true. When we comfort each other, when we encourage each other, when we reach out our hand to another, then we are wearing the face of God.

Meditations