Thoughts on Heaven and My Handphone

While at Sri Petaling Maju mamak restaurant with Li-Shia on Thursday, we overheard a conversation between what I think was a Muslim cleric and a Muslim layperson. We sat in the open, and these two guys had a rather animated discussion going on, with the cleric doing most of the talking.

The cleric said, "Di syurga kita boleh buat apa-apa. Tak ada larangan." It means, "We can do anything we want in heaven. There are no restrictions."

I believe this is true, but also something that is often misunderstood, for many take it to mean that there is endless liberty in heaven and so we can backstab all we want, or beat a person as much as we want because there will be no pain in heaven, or something else that is no less self-indulgent.

What we often miss, I think, is the fact that heaven is not easy to enter. Jesus said the path is narrow, and not many can walk this path. It's like saying we can do anything on top of Mount Everest; but how many can actually make it to the summit?

Only the righteous will enjoy heaven. Hanya yang beriman. Which is few, if any, of us. Least of all me. Am I becoming the sort of person who will enjoy heaven? I recall a metaphor from Brian McLaren's The Last Word and the Word After That; he suggested that the fires of heaven may be hotter than the fires of hell, and only those who were tried and true could endure heaven.

So yes, we can do anything we want in heaven. But will we, in the first place, make it safely through the Gate who is Jesus Christ?

* * * * *

On Tuesday, 6 February, my handphone flew out of my hand onto the drive-through lane outside Aquaria. It landed hard on the ground and broke into pieces. Thankfully, it didn't actually shatter, but the battery, keypad and cover were instantly dismantled and scattered over the pavement.

My grip on my handphone is nothing compared to God's grip on us. Though we shatter, he can and will mend us.

By the way, this testifies also to the hardiness of the Nokia 3100. Or maybe it is simply the grace of God and nothing else. Whatever the case, it is a miracle. No less.