On Earth as it is in Heaven
When I was a Christian, I had a hard time buying into the "streets of gold" view of heaven, even as a child. It didn't even sound pretty, ridiculous even. Later I tried to imaging eternal bliss and endless praise for God, but I just couldn't get there. It didn't sound heavenly to me. But I persisted. Later I tried to come to grips with "greater consciousness", but struggled with any semblance of self surviving into a meaningful afterlife. Whatever happens, the only thing that makes sense to me is that we return to the universe in our elemental parts, but the notion of a surviving soul still escapes me. Be that as it may, I do understand man's struggle for meaning. We all live it every day, trying to make sense of the world and our place in it. We struggle for purpose beyond today, especially when things are less than ideal; "There must be a bigger plan." Maybe, maybe not. But in our imaginings, can we construct a vision of heaven,