Heaven's Coming

Heaven’s coming! How do I know this? Because I just caught a glimpse this past weekend.

I caught the glimpse at a national conference sponsored by World Vision, a Christian humanitarian aid and advocacy organization – my family and company have partnered with them for several years in their effort to end the safe water crisis in so many countries around the world.

The name of the conference was Everyone Needs a Believer. Now, on the surface, the title emphasizes that the children and families World Vision reaches need believers like those gathered at this conference – believers who have been blessed with material wealth and who have a desire to be generous in their giving.

I did not expect to be reminded that I need a believer, too. Or five hundred believers like those gathered in the room. We heard the powerful testimonies of beautiful individuals from different countries who had benefited from World Vision’s strategy and engagement to bring about individual and community transformation, and we heard about the transformation of those who had given so generously, how their joy had increased in direct proportion with their involvement with a World Vision community or project.

This might not seem earth-shattering to you. Indeed, I have been part of these types of conferences before. But when we worshipped for an hour on Saturday morning, my heart was moved in a way it hasn’t been moved in a while, and I left feeling confident that this group of believers, in concert with thousands more, can in fact bring “heaven on earth” in a way that glorifies God and gets the attention of a hurting, angry and often hopeless world.

When you pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth, as it is in Heaven,” do you ever wonder what that could look like? Would an end to poverty, to food shortages, to no water or unsafe water; to economic empowerment of those who felt they had no power; to freedom and hope for women and girls kept as slaves; all accomplished and proclaimed in the strong name of Jesus. Would this look a little like heaven, even now, in a world as dark and fractured as ours?

It is easy to focus on the circumstances all around us and become overwhelmed, and so we pray, but in my case, I can say the words but not really believe it will make much difference. “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief!” cried the father of a demon-possessed boy. (Jesus helps his unbelief – the demon is cast out.)

And is it easier sometimes for believers to focus on their inheritance in heaven, knowing that it is secure, instead of wading into the messiness of this life? The problem is, Jesus waded into the messiness of first century Jewish life – disease, demonic forces, oppression, injustice, untimely death. I believe that his first coming was an inauguration of “heaven on earth” and that as his followers, we are called to the same work. We can't avoid the call.

Lord, help my unbelief. Okay, Hutch, millions of lives are changed by the work of World Vision. You’ve seen firsthand the transformation in Nueva Frontera in Honduras – you were just there in November. Remember? And look at the faithfulness and joy of all these believers in this room. What does it look like? Yes, it looks like heaven on earth.

Saint Augustine is quoted as saying, “Pray as though everything depends on God. Work as though everything depends on you.” All things are possible with God – I know this, and prayer helps me remember, and prayer keeps my eyes on Jesus, not on the darkness of the world. And then, work.

This can seem daunting – how can I alone make any difference? I said this at the conference: I have only mustard-seed-sized faith, but when that faith is combined with thousands of others with the same sized faith, working with organizations like World Vision (https://www.worldvision.org/ways-to-help) who can scale to a size bringing relief to millions of people, you know what? Mountains can indeed be moved; faith is strengthened, and we get to work until that time when Jesus comes again to finish the job.