On earth as it is in heaven.
Matthew 6:10
The Lord’s Prayer is either 53 or 66 words long, depending on whether the ending is added: For Thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen. (It is 66 words with it, 53 without it.) The connection between heaven and earth is made twice in the first 53 words, in the phrases “Thy Kingdom come” and “On earth as it is in heaven.” Jesus doesn’t want us to think of the Kingdom of heaven only as a faraway place but also as a present reality. We are to be “living in the Kingdom” now, just as we prepare to live in it forever at the end of life.
There are opportunities to have a foretaste of heaven in our lives on earth. I dare say, it is possible to achieve perfection for a fleeting moment. For instance, if two people offer a prayer together or sing a hymn together, or embrace one another, it is possible to put aside all earthly cares and experience a moment of perfection. The challenge is that these moments don’t last long because of human concerns. Even the most beautiful of encounters between two people will be interrupted by a human need, like someone has to go to the bathroom, or someone gets hungry, or someone has to sneeze.
Jesus says in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I in the midst of them.” This is brought to life in the moment we receive Holy Communion. Two are gathered, the priest and the communicant, and Christ stands in between them in the Holy Chalice. But when two or three gather in prayer or praise, there is a momentary chance of perfection. On a personal note, I sometimes enjoy the Divine Liturgy more on a weekday when there are fewer people there than on a Sunday with a full church. Why? Because the more people present, the less likely we are to be united in a perfect oneness, even for a moment. Because with hundreds of people present, someone will have a human need, or a distraction.
We have already discussed that the Divine Liturgy is a foreshadowing of heaven because we worship, praise and partake of Christ fully through the Eucharist. The opening line of the Divine Liturgy brings the Kingdom of heaven in reality NOW and forever.
The foreshadowing of heaven is also present on Good Friday, when we walk under the Epitaphios to reenter the church. We do this each year to prepare for the day we will pass from earth to heaven.
Another great way to experience a sense of God, and a sense of heaven is in natural beauty. Everything in our homes and offices feel secular, because everything in them was built by people. We forget the natural substances that things are built from, that the initial trees that make wood were planted by God (now we plant our own trees, but He planted the first ones) or the stones that create cement, granite, etc. were originally created by God. When we see a powerful waterfall, or a towering mountain range, or a rushing river, this is where we can more easily connect to the might and power of God, to His creating energy, rather than just to our own. A walk out under the stars, under the canopy of heaven, can help solidify our place in creation, that God the Creator is so much greater than us.
When “on earth as it is in heaven” is combined with “Thy will be done” the phrase reads “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” If the prevailing activity in heaven is glorification of God and unity with God, then this should become the prevailing thing we do on earth as well, to do the will of God on earth, as if we are doing it in heaven, as we envision doing it in heaven. If a person is not interested in living in God’s Kingdom while on earth, how will they be prepared to live in it in heaven? Part of our life’s work is living as if we are living in the Kingdom, so that when we have the opportunity for the fullest experience of the Kingdom, we are ready because we have spent a lifetime practicing. Entering the Kingdom of heaven will feel like the next natural step, rather than a source of fear, because we have been living in the Kingdom in our lives. If we fail to embrace the Kingdom of God on earth, then our departure from this life would rightfully be a source of fear and trepidation. It’s like the student who didn’t study for the test and now exam day is here, and he is totally not ready and he knows it. However, the student who has been living the life of studying comes to the exam ready for it, and eager, because the exam is the next natural step in the process to the ultimate goal of graduation.
The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims His handiwork. Day to day pours forth speck, and night to night declares knowledge; there is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tent for the sun, which comes forth like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and like a strong man runs its course with joy. Its rising is from the end of the heavens and its circuit to the end of them; and there is nothing hid from its heat. The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The ordinances of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover by them is Thy servant warned; in keep them there is great reward. But who can discern his errors? Clear Thou me from hidden faults. Keep back Thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord my rock and my redeemer. Psalm 19
Point to ponder: Heaven is a place of perfection. We can experience pieces of heaven on earth through prayer, worship and obedience to God’s commandments. Can you give an example of an occasion when you felt like you were in heaven?
