"I'm Not Going To Heaven"

Well, probably not. Depends on so many things. Which particular subsection of which particular Faith have got the entry conditions right. Or if it exists. Some people are CERTAIN it does. I have quite a few doubts, but that's me. I suspect I'm a lost cause.

 Some of the more sensible religious guru's will say that it is better to simply get on with living the best life you can live, than trying to second guess God (if he or/and she exists and is into life after death). Which is quite the best way to approach these matters I think. Deal with the stuff that we can actually DO something about. There in lies the way to paradise.

 I don't think I would describe myself as a Belinda Carlisle-ist though. Heaven isn't a place on earth either. For a simple reason, neatly expressed by an old Christian truism aimed at those who travelled around trying to find THE best church congregation to be a member of. To them it was said by an anonymous saint (we'll call her Gertie): "If you find the perfect church don't join...you wouldn't want to spoil things would you?"

Gertie was right Belinda. Finding a perfect place on earth, in church or mosque, football stadium or music gig (not EVEN the Kintyre Songwriters Festival, though that's pretty close) is impossible because if you or I find it, Belinda, it's gonna get tainted immediately.

So, does that make me a killjoy who wants to, um, kill the joyful hope of those who think that there is something better, something perfect round the next corner, or the next life? No, it doesn't. I'm quite happy to live in a world where people have faith in things that cannot be seen. I'm quite happy to live with and love people of faith.

It's just that for me, the journey is the thing. This moment. And if I do or don't manage to extract and consume every last particle of Life out of it (which, more often than not, I don't) then it is my loss (and sometimes my wonderful gain). Nobody else's. For behold, I am the creator of Heaven, and I am it's Destroyer.

But there is always the next step to take. One more step. Just one more.

Hmm. Seems like I do have faith after all.


The line "I'm not going to heaven" is from my Fee Comes Fourth song Devotion - April 4th 2013