Brenden Kennely sensitive exploration of a range of emotions

Heaven or Hell?

Years ago, while driving to Atlanta, Georgia, I saw an airport sign that read: “Whether you’re bound for heaven or hell you must change at Atlanta.” Jesus’ Church enters the last week of her liturgical year and calls us to reflect on whether we’re bound for Heaven or hell. Since Heaven is the enjoyment of total happiness and hell means total misery, our choice would seem to be easy. The problem is that while everybody wants to go to Heaven, no one wants to die. Therein lies the problem. Dying isn’t only about physical death, it’s also about dying to selfishness.

Everybody wants to go to Heaven but nobody unconsciously wants to put others’ needs before their own.

Since Jesus provides the only way to Heaven, namely the Way of the Cross, that must also be our way to get there. This means we must sacrifice our life by sharing with others in their need. People try to avoid this by looking for easier ways to Heaven. However, all ways, other than Jesus’, lead to a false heaven, which is hell. Many deny the existence of hell questioning how a loving God could create it. He didn’t; Satan did. Satan pleased his ego rather than humbly submitting to God, thereby creating a loveless world.  He tempts us to choose selfishness thinking we’re choosing Heaven when in fact we’re choosing hell. He tempts us to focus on what looks good rather than on what’s truly good.

Jesus’ Church begins the week by proclaiming Him as King of the Universe. As King everyone, believer and non-believer, is accountable to Him.  Since men and women had succumbed to Satan’s temptation to glorify selfishness, promising that it would bring them happiness, God decided to personally come and show that only He could save mankind. “I am going to look after my flock myself …I shall rescue them from wherever they have been scattered when it was cloudy and dark.