Teshuvah

I want to explore the idea of Jesus saying “repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” I think the traditional interpretation of that verse is that it is telling us to confess and turn away from sin because the kingdom of heaven beyond this life is coming quickly and if we don’t confess all our sins before we die then we won’t make it into a place called heaven. If you look at it from this perspective it seems that heaven is only something for later and that we should focus on the sins we commit and confess them which could turn into an obsession with your sins. There is some truth to this, in that we should confess our sin but we don’t have to obsess about it or remember it. This philosophy says that life doesn’t matter as much because all this life is for is repenting (confessing) and struggling (trying to be perfect (something you don’t think you are so you try desperately to become it)) through to the prize at the end of the tunnel, eternal life. That this is mortal life and death will magically usher us into eternal life. But only if we confess all of our sins or “repent”.

But what if we look at what the word “repent” really means. “Repent” in Hebrew means “to return.” So in effect, this verse is saying “Return, for the kingdom of heaven, this eternal life, is nearer than you thought. It isn’t just for the afterlife, it is for now, and I am proof to you of that.” I think this puts a whole new perspective on what life is about and what heaven is. Return to what? To living a more holy life? To sinning less? To living righteously? To following Jesus? To reading our bible and praying more? I don’t think any of these show exactly what this is trying to say, because all of these things are just telling us to do more, to do something we aren’t already doing in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. What if the emphasis isn’t on entering the kingdom of heaven but instead on “being” the kingdom. What if Ghandi was right when he said “be the change you want to see in the world.” And if there is the possibility of “being” the kingdom of God, then there’s more than just doing to this whole thing. It’s about being, not something you aren’t already, and not changing into someone you aren’t; Not being someone you’re not, but being who you are. Returning to who you were created to be. Returning to the “heaven” that is already within you. Maybe heaven is in all of us but we just stray from it. The father of the prodigal son was his father all along, not just once he got home. What if our Father’s image is truly burned upon every one of us in such a way that you can’t deny it, it’s just hidden beneath so much of the stuff we choose that isn't part of bringing His kingdom to earth. Heaven was meant to be brought to earth because heaven is already within all of us. What if it’s less about doing more and more to “get into heaven” and more about becoming more and more of who you already are by bringing the kingdom of heaven to earth through your actions. Maybe Rob Bell is right when he says hell can be brought to earth too and everyone either brings heaven or hell to earth everyday. So in light of all of this, what Jesus is really saying here is, “Return to who you already are, to being a part of the kingdom of heaven on earth, here & now, not because you want to get into some happy little place after you die, but because I want to dwell on earth forever now and I believe in you, that you can bring my kingdom here, by letting the “heaven”, the “eternity” created within you to come out of you and to spill out all over the world around you, bringing it into the kingdom. This eternal life thing is for here and now and will go on to there and then, but it starts here and you have got to realize that I came to teach you how to live that way, not to teach you how to die and then get into heaven but to teach you how to bring heaven here and start now, not then. Here it begins, with you being who you were created to be, who you already are. Learning to do that will be hard because you’ve lived for so long astray from that and doing things that have brought hell to earth. Start living this way, and you will mess up, your old self will come back to haunt you, but when it does, admit it, confess it, and move on, and continue learning about your new self and by learning about your new self which really is your old self anyways, you are bringing the kingdom here and now, and that is exactly what you were created to do.”

Eternity is already written on the hearts of men.