What do you get wrong about Heaven—A question from 'Mbingu Zimenena'
The song "Mbingu Zimenena" by Kwaya ya Mt. Kizito Makuburi is a powerful reflection on the very nature of heaven, a concept that often occupies our thoughts and imaginations. The title, which means "The Heavens Have Spoken," points to a central truth: our understanding of heaven isn't just a product of our imagination, but a revelation given to us through Christ.
Many of us were raised with a similar idea of heaven: it's a place, a beautiful destination we go to after we die, a reward for living a good life. It's the ultimate family reunion, a paradise with no end. These ideas, while comforting, often view heaven as a pre-existing location, a cosmic resort hotel that has always been there. But what if heaven isn't a where so much as a when? What if it's not a location, but an encounter?
Theologian Karl Rahner offers a radical perspective that challenges this traditional view. He suggests that at his ascension, Jesus didn't simply return to a pre-existing place called heaven. Instead, in that moment of glory, Jesus established the fundamental possibility of heaven itself.
This idea is transformative. If heaven is defined as union with God, now and forever, then it couldn't exist until Jesus made that union possible. The original break from God's will—sin—made this kind of communion an impossibility from the start.
This is precisely what John the Baptist recognized when he saw Jesus and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). John wasn't just pointing out a new prophet; he was identifying the one who would remove the ultimate obstacle to oneness with God. Jesus, through his life and sacrifice, takes away the unchangeable barriers of sin and death.
The Unattainable and The Beloved Poet Robert Browning once wrote, "Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for?" This line beautifully captures the essence of Rahner's point: heaven is fundamentally something we cannot grasp or earn. We can't get there with a perfect moral record or a lifetime of good deeds. The encounter with God can only be engaged by the graciousness of Christ, who opens the door and welcomes us to full communion.
Perhaps the best way to understand heaven is by thinking of the most precious moments of our lives: being madly in love and desiring that the togetherness with the beloved would be endless. That is a working definition of heaven: being madly in love and joined with the beloved forever. The Bible confirms that God is absolute love, and those who abide in love abide in God (1 John 4:16). This "love immersion" scenario is spot on.
While human passion may be warm and vibrant, and religious fervor sometimes appears cooler, our preparation for an eternity in harmony with God requires us to practice the "right notes" now. We must seek to be madly in love with the things that matter to God: charity, beauty, justice, mercy, truth, peace, and forgiveness. If hell, as Jean-Paul Sartre suggested, is "other people" who share none of our values, then heaven is the precise opposite: an eternity in total harmony with harmony itself.
"Behold the Lamb of God," who makes heaven possible for us! He willingly and passionately broke down the barriers and opened the door to this union. Our part is no less critical, as love always requires a dance partner. What keeps us from union with the Beloved right now? Are we madly in love with the ways of love, or are we more focused on our own righteousness, opinions, and indignation? This is the central question the song asks us to consider as we seek to be in communion with absolute love.
