HEAVEN?

It wasn't just in my aging years that I've been curious about the workings of and the existance of Heaven.

Of the many sources I've sought out about the subject - partially due to being well churched in my later years - I found I enjoyed the New Testament Church vision the most. They tell us God forgives our sins and offers hope via what they claim is a fool- proof method of making Heaven become my final resting place.

Unfortunately, despite their assurances and good intentions, after reviewing both real or imagined transgressions of my life to date, I have my doubts.

There have been days when I came away with the conclusion I'd have a better chance of passing the Bar exam on the first try.

The Bible has given us several stories of folks who "discovered the light" after living a disparate lifestyle. Assuredly, Paul, who was first introduced to us as Saul, a truly mean dude - through his transformation and his lengthy communications thereafter - has provided many of us with hope and guidance.

C.S. Lewis - a similarly reformed author - also gave us considerable insight via his delightful "Screwtape Letters".

Even admitted atheist-comedian W.C. Fields suggested it's never too late to think about the possibility of finding a path to Heaven when his biographer Gene Fowler observed him on his death bed reading the Bible.

Fields, when questioned by Fowler , copped out in that expected manner of his - and simply stated,  "I'm looking for loopholes."

Don't know about you, but I have to admit that through the years I've asked myself, "What is Heaven really?  What does it look like? "What are my chances of getting there?"

I admit to having unholy suspicions when realizing that, despite so much space exploration, nobody has come back with any snapshots of Heaven. I can only assume the reason is that NASA is really hellbent on controlling astronaut voyeurism.

Evangelist Tony Evans - who I met in Hershey of all places - has in several of his sermons provided a description of Heaven that suggests it is the most glorious and by far biggest shopping mall like gloriosity you could imagine - and, I suppose, with no shopping carts carelessly disposed of  randomly throughout the the parking lot.

More recently, authors Mitch Albom and Todd Burpo - among others - have provided a glimpse of Heaven to any us possibly less devout and on the cusp.

But my search for real meaning has led me again to that master author - Mark Twain - allegedly known as "Sammy" only to his close friends.

Per Twain:

(Man) "For instance, take this sample: he has imagined a heaven, and has left entirely out of it the supremest of all his delights, the one ecstasy that stands first and foremost in the heart of every individual of his race - and of ours - sexual intercourse!

It's as if a lost and perishing person in a roasting desert should be told by a rescuer he might choose and have all longed-for things but one, and he should elect to leave out water."

And, from the same source ("Letters from the Earth: Uncensored Writings") :

"Now then, in the earth these people cannot stand much church - - an hour and a quarter is the limit - and they draw a line at once a week. That is to say, Sunday. One day in seven; and even then they do not look forward to it with longing. And so - - consider what their heaven provides for them: "church" that lasts forever, and a Sabbath that has no end!

They quickly weary of this brief  hebdomadal Sabbath here, yet they long for the eternal one; they dream of it, they talk about it, they think they think they are going to enjoy -- with all their simple hearts they think they think they are going to be happy in it."

Hey, you got to admit - it's definitely something to "they think" about - particularly if you're wondering if it may be too late in life for any hope of inclusion.