Infants & Heaven

Had a rather sleepless night. I think I must have been so involved in care-giving the past couple of weeks that my emotions are just now catching up. Its back to school today, but my mind and heart are in a different place. I had anxiety all night over many strains of thought and I just wanted to say some things regarding that today. Here are my thoughts.

- I believe that infants are born with original sin because they have human parents. Unless there is a virgin birth (as with Christ), we are all born in the sin of Adam and Eve.

- I believe that infants understand and receive the Kingdom more naturally than adults who grow up into their sins of pride and control

- I believe that God's heart is welcoming to infants

- I believe that infants receive the love of Christ through their family and spiritual community

- I believe that Christ's death on the cross was for everybody. Those who believe in Christ find the entrance to the Kingdom of God.

- Infants, who lack the ability to choose Christ, are welcomed into the Kingdom not because of their innocence, but based on the Grace, Mercy and Love of God

- I believe that Heaven is the most misunderstood concept in Christianity. We see it in the western Church as a physical place in the sky we go to and is filled w/ mansions and earthly structures. Rather, I believe its a spiritual realm not far from our earthly realm here. It has physical properties, but are governed by a set of laws that shatter the paradigms of our earthly world.

- I believe that Heaven is not a place we go to, but the state of being in full communion w/ Christ. In this life, we experience Heaven in part. Then, we shall experience it in full.

- I believe that Baby Kate, also known by my girls as Ka-Kate, is in the fullness of heaven now tasting of eternal life not far from us. I also believe that while on earth, she already experienced the Kingdom of Heaven in part, through her family and her spiritual community known as Ordinary Community Church.

- I believe the American Dream is a lie and not a part of Kingdom theology. It is not about God Bless America, that we get what we work for, that we can control and secure our futures, that we are entitled to a certain way of life etc. etc. Its all a lie. And the sooner we wake up from being more American than we are Christ following, the sooner we grow up in the reality of the Kingdom.

- I believe we need a theology of falleness and suffering. Our worldviews have to be bigger than "do your best and God will do the rest".

- I believe we need to see the big picture that our world is being made new. That God is active bringing the realm of the new heaven and new earth onto this one. And most importantly, that He invites us to partner with Him in that Creation. So as we become and act like the people of God, we most literally are doing His will "on earth as it is in heaven".

These are just some of my thoughts today.

peace,