As a pastor preaching a long Jinja road and in his summon, he told those who minded him that on that day (judgment) people will look back at him as missed call. He went on as people will be burnt forever and how it’s pain and misery in there.
As this preacher went on I wondered if it mattered to him to at least tell the people about the heaven he wants them to embrace.
He was just becoming the other preachers; they will tell the crowds of the anguish, suffering and pain in hell but not the advantages of going to heaven. In fact by the time they finish the congregation is more scared than devoted that they will do anything the bible demands of them.
In his book “Chasing Heaven to Avoid Hell” Jean Sheldon writes that many Christians have hidden fears about judgment. He goes on to say that many wish for answers to the quest for eternal life, a faith which makes sense and a religion which fits together into a consistent whole.
Christianity doesn’t fit this setting that many feel like it traps them instead. They feel like its blackmail against fire, to some, Christianity is a necessity against the flames of hell. To these people Christianity is nothing but a fire insurance that they will do anything a church leaders terms as righteous.
But would any of these people adhere to the Ten Commandments if hell was a place of mere suffering and hunger? Without fire may be hell would sound like another joke probably some people have always lived a life of suffering all through. Or if hell was ice cold would the number of Christians shoot up like its doing today?
Winnie Nassozi, a procurement practitioner and an Anglican Christian thinks that at the end of it all Christianity comes down to that. She says that no one wants to burn forever so many will embrace Christ with overwhelming fear and minimal faith.
“At the end of the day, we get down to this. Trust me people will say they love Christ and praise his grace but deep down it’s the fear of hell that drives many to churches”, says Winnie.
Another Rehema Ssali, a converted Muslim shares Winnie’s arguments when she says that even the cartoon teaching about heaven don’t help that a lot. She says that portraying heaven as a place where believers enjoy food and wine doesn’t make it that attractive but the thought of burning in hell makes heaven a good deal.
“I couldn’t want to go to a place where all my good deeds, donation, offertory and fasting are characterized in food and wine but when fire is the next option, you will go for the food”, she says.
The views of these two Christians paint and reflect views of many other ignorant and confused Christians. Do they know or understand the heaven they want? True, may be they are sure of hell’s existence but are they sure that heaven even exists? Do they have the assurance? Does anyone have the assurance? What about the preachers? Is there something they are not telling us by mistake or default?
Think about it many books have been written about people who have allegedly visited heaven and come back. But 98% of these stories talk about hell, the suffering and the celebrities there. In all these stories only one chapter or page will be dedicated to the heaven part. These are stories that leave horror images in the mind of the listener that he/she won’t wish such a place for even their cousins. This little knowledge about heaven and the abundance of it, about hell has created more fear than faith. That churches are full but with scared and lost people, people with little knowledge of the salvation they crave for.
Such fear was evident when a friend told me that even if heaven was a dog house, he would do anything to enter that dog house than burn.
In a faith where many kids have been brought up to think it’s a sin not to want to go to heaven, without really knowing why it’s righteous to want heaven. These kids can narrate to you the hell ordeal until your thoughts will hear the very flames crackling around you.
And I guess if you asked some why or why not, they want to go to heaven, their minds will run in twists with answers like; “of course everyone is supposed to want to go to heaven” or “it’s the only safe place to go”.
Some say it’s because of this fear that religious leaders too fear death. Much as they want to go to heaven, religious leaders have their doubts. They feel that they don’t have the assurance regardless of their selfless services on earth.
If Jesus made a surprise visit to earth and asked ay one why they follow him, he will be shocked that none may offer him a complete right answer. It will be utter shock that even after his suffering and death, many people still treat his sacrifices as a bait to avoid fire.
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