Imagine there’s no heaven

BILL TONER SJ :: In the early 1970s, I was one of a group of young Jesuits giving a retreat in a girls’ school in England. At some stage in the retreat, we became aware that a dispute had broken out between the girls who were organising the liturgy, and the religious Sisters who ran the school. The girls wanted to sing the John Lennon song, ‘Imagine there’s no heaven’ during the Mass, and the Sisters were having none of it. I had a fleeting thought that this demonstrated the decadence of English youth and that it would never happen in Ireland. I was glad I was not called on to adjudicate in the matter. 

As a priest, this often-played song still makes me uncomfortable, in spite of its musical brilliance. I am struck by the line, ‘Imagine all the people, living for today’. John Lennon seemed to suggest that people who believe in heaven are so distracted by the hope of a wonderful afterlife in some tomorrow, that they neglect the pressing issues of today. Of course, this is not the first time that this charge has been made. Karl Marx described religion as “the opium of the people”. 

The charge that religion discourages people from “living for today” must be called in question by the immense value that is generated by faith-inspired activities, that are ‘civic’ rather than ‘religious’. For instance, the World Economic Forum estimates that the value of healthcare provided by religious organisations in the U.S. amounts to about €160 bn. Miscellaneous religious charities also contribute €960 bn., with this including alcohol recovery programmes, employment services, and support for AIDS victims. These figures show little evidence of an obsession only with the afterlife. 

It is undeniable that the New Testament gives priority to the afterlife over the present one. “Our homeland is in heaven”, St. Paul tells the Philippians. And this is echoed in later spirituality, “You have made us for yourself, O God, and our heart is restless until it rests in you”(St Augustine). Jesus tells us not to lay up treasures on earth, but rather in heaven, where moth and rust to not consume them (Mt.6.20). He tells the rich young man to sell what he possesses and give to the poor, and he will have treasure in heaven (Mt.19,21). Yet it is hard to find anything in the bible suggesting that this world doesn’t matter, even though it will pass away. The sanctity of the earth and its people is a constant theme: “The earth is the Lord’s and its fulness, the world and those who dwell therein” (Ps.24.1). Jesus also presents this life and world to us as a testing ground, where we will be judged on our behaviour, especially on our care for the poor and the forgotten, and on our readiness to forgive those who offend us (Mt. 6,32; Mt,25,38). But there is nothing to suggest that the Jewish or Christian religions discourage people from living for today. It is a curious error to say that loving one thing must exclude another. Can people who say, “I love my job” not love spouses and children too? 

If people of faith are considered not to be interested in ‘living for today’ how can their conspicuous commitment to environmental protection be explained? The encyclical of Pope Francis, Laudato Si, is possibly one of the best-known contemporary documents urging people to recognize the sacredness of our planet. There is also an enormous amount of activity among grassroots religious groups such as Eco Congregation Ireland, which is a joint project off the Catholic, Church of Ireland, Presbyterian, Methodist, and Quaker congregations. They encourage churches to take an ec0 approach to worship, lifestyle, and the other incidentals of church life.  They ask Christians: 

• to reflect on the beauty of God’s world; 

• to consider what practical steps can be taken to prevent further damage to the environment.  

• to pray for our wounded planet, and for people in the developing world already affected by climate change. 

Are these not people truly “living for today”, as well as for tomorrow? 

Blessed John Sullivan, a man with one foot already in heaven, told us beautifully how to live on this earth: “Take life in instalments, this day now. At least let this be a good day.  Be always beginning. Let the past go. Now let me do whatever I have the power to do”.