The Bubble of Time Part Duex

So I'm still thinking about this bubble of spacetime we live in. And I'm thinking about it in correlation to the end of the world (the end of timespace and matter). And this is where my thoughts are getting me to (in addition to probably getting me into trouble!) :-)

When we die, when we slough off this mortal coil, we enter the realm inhabited by God: the realm of no spacetime (or at least no spacetime in the physical sense that we are used to working with). That means we leave the flow of history (the arrow of time) and enter into a timeless realm.

I take it to mean, then, that when we enter God's presence, we enter it at the same time (if I can use that word) that everyone else does - *everyone* - everyone that has ever lived, is living now, and ever will live. In a very real sense, then, the end of the world - the end of everything - happens when we die - when each person dies.

I imagine a shimmering curtain millions of miles long, and at the instant of our death we step through. And as we do, we look to the left and to the right and see millions upon millions of people also passing through. Each of them has died at some particular point in the history of humanity, but all are crossing as one. We all enter the Kingdom of Heaven as one body - as one people - and await our judgment and our mercy at the hands of our Creator.

Since I'm Catholic, I firmly believe in the resurrection of the body - the sense that it's not our souls that goes to heaven, but everything about us - body, mind, soul & spirit. Every piece and part of who we are - everything about us - is refined until our selves are post-resurrection selves just like Jesus when he appeared to his apostles after his death and resurrection.

I think that is what happens upon our death - upon our entering the timeless Reign of God. Again, since I'm Catholic, and since I've diverged into a rant over what happens at death, I think that the familiar concept of purgatory (familiar to Catholics @ least) fits in well here, too. Everyone goes through a period of purgation as we enter death.

If I were to die right now, I know I'm not ready to leave my life. I'm attached to my wife and son, my relatives, my friends, my ministry, my music, my hobbies, my computer :-) I want to cling to them and to the things of this life - I'm not ready to die. And so as I die, I think I would experience pain, not only in a physical sense, but in a total sense - the pain of refinement, of purification, of transformation and renewal - the pain of transcending my mortal desires and attachments and turning my gaze towards the Divine. That, in a conceptual framework that does not include any sort of tie in heaven, is what purgatory would be - not a physical place, but a soulfull process that we must go through where our eyes and heart and mind and soul and spirit and flesh are acclimated to our new dwelling place in heaven.

And again, that's all for now - gotta get some food in my son again (the boy is going through another growth spurt . . . again!)

Blessings & Peace,
Hugo