That's more-or-less the claim Paula Kirby makes:
In the state of permanent, perfect bliss that is the very definition of heaven, ‘making a difference’ is ruled out. If the difference made an improvement, the previous state could not have been perfect. If it made things worse, the result would not be perfect. In heaven, neither is possible. Even being reunited with loved ones could not add one jot to their bliss or yours, for heaven would be, by definition, a state that could not be improved on.
Just consider for a moment the hellish pointlessness of heaven. At least in our real existence our actions have an effect, for better or worse, and it is therefore worth trying to get them right. In an eternal life where we can have no effect whatsoever, we might as well be dead.
Where to begin? How about with Kirby's definition of heaven as "perfect bliss." That may be the popular view portrayed in Hollywood films and championed by some philosophers. But it's not the view presented in Scripture. One of the most frequent images of heaven in the New Testament is of a wedding feast, in which the marriage of Christ and his bride the church is consummated and celebrated (see, e.g., Matthew 22:1-14, Ephesians 5:21-32, Revelation 19-20). It's a warm and inviting image that speaks to our universal longing for joy, celebration, and even drama.
But it also captures the sense in which the entire Christian faith is about restoring a relationship of reciprocal love between God and humanity and among human beings. Christians believe it will be that reciprocal love - and not some sort of heavenly Prozac-induced "bliss" - that will characterize our life in the world to come. And reciprocal love, by definition, means people making differences in the lives of one another. It means giving and receiving. It means sharing meals and experiences and moments of awe and joy. It means getting to know a person intimately and being intimately known by that person.
So Kirby is wrong. Our actions in heaven will indeed have effects. The only thing that will change is that those effects will no longer have any capacity to hurt or harm. Indeed, in heaven, we will longer even have a desire to hurt or harm others. For then we will finally love with the same purity of heart that characterizes God's love for us.
Such, at least, is the promise of the gospel. It's a fairly tall order, I'll admit. But it's also a beautiful vision of what our lives may become if we open ourselves up to God and his redeeming love. And if the many almost unthinkably beautiful things of this world are any indication, then I expect God will be able to deliver on this promise.
(Image via Paula Norman)
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