IF I DON'T SEE YOU AGAIN, I'LL SEE YOU AGAIN

The pragmatic and time-crunched mindsets among us (then-exchange students) meant we spent a lot of weekends travelling. But for me, additionally, weekends abroad entailed more opportunities to visit congregations spread across the North American continent. 

One (beautiful) autumn day, when all the red leaves had fallen, leaving merely bare branches that transformed Vermont into the likeness of abandoned woods, I went to the South Burlington Church of Christ for worship. Just as my foot crossed the boundary between the foyer and the auditorium, I was greeted by lovely “Hi’s” and “Good mornings”. Received with immeasurable hospitality and love, I felt right at home in the Lord’s family, despite being more than 14000km away from Singapore. 

Church service was great, and so were the brethren. But the heartbreaking part of every visit is leaving. As much as visiting different congregations edifies and encourages me, the thought of probably never seeing these brethren again tugs at my heartstrings. So did it for an elderly brother. 

As we were chatting, waiting for my friends to come pick me up, he said, 

“You know, I always see a lot of people come and go because Vermont is such a nice place to visit. And every time I leave, I wonder, when will I ever get to see them again? 

But I know that even if I don’t see them again here, if I believe in what I believe and keep to it,

I will always get to see them again in Heaven.”

It was as if the world around me froze, went mute, then regained normalcy. This was the full circle moment I had needed when bidding my goodbyes to the various congregations. Retrospectively, I had always left with so much encouragement and inspiration, though it was mixed with tinges of melancholy - will I ever see them again? What if this were the last time?

But this brother’s words, at such a pivotal and relevant time, had transformed the way I view goodbyes and eternity. 

Eternity, a concept so familiar to Christians, might have become so common in our psyche that it has lost its novelty and grandeur. Intuitively, we Christians associate Eternity as the amount of time we will have when we go to Heaven (or the amount of time the unbelievers would have to spend in the lake of fire). But more than that, it is also a place, an event, and a hope. 

Eternity, a long time so long we have no end, is the duration we will have to sing praises to God and commune with Jesus. Eternity, everlasting presence with God in Heaven, is the hope of our faith and the goal of our walk with Christ. And Eternity is the “place” we will get to meet those whom God had called home first, where “every tear shall be dried” (Revelation 21:3-4) and where the sun, God, shines eternal (Revelation 22:5). 

If we believe there is an eternity, then our belief will manifest in actions. The same logic is expounded in James 2:14, 

14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 

And given that we have the hope of eternal life, on one hand, we should live our lives aiming to get to heaven, as these verses posit, 

9 Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him (2 Corinthians 5:9).

1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him (Col 3: 1-4, 12-17).

On the other hand, we should be comforted when facing goodbyes, knowing it is temporary. For 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 says, 

13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Considering how our faithfulness and/or our walk with God affect our eternal destination, we also gain a better and clearer perspective of life on earth. Life is but a vapour (James 4:14), and we can bring nothing from this life into the next. However, the good works we do will be stored as treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:20), just as we go to work and the digits in our bank account are our reward. Let us therefore heap up for ourselves treasures in heaven, starting with considering what areas of service you want to be involved in (and remember to take action! For faith without works is dead).

Thus, not only does Eternity call into question our perspective on death and separation, it also prompts reflection on the kind of life we are living – is it one that is holy before God, one that can be identified by non-believers as having the presence and guidance of Jesus, and one that bears good fruit? Are we actively striving to be the light of the world (Matthew 5:14-16) instead of trying to hide our light under a bushel? After all, our faith is an active, evident faith and not a passive, hidden one. Let our light so shine before men that they may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:14-16).

Eternity also brings comfort to me knowing that most of the things I’m worried about are not eternally consequential: the job I hate, the $1.26 hanging on for dear life in my SAVINGS account (sometimes even declining my debit card purchases), and the next Shopee purchase I make. The Scriptures rightly observe, 

15 As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. 16 For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, And its place remembers it no more. (Psalms 103:15-16)

12 For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he passes like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will happen after him under the sun?” (Ecclesiastes 6:12)

Truly, when we take a step back and see the never-ending timeline of Eternity, these expedient things are really not that deep.

Eternity; ironically, you might never see this outreach article again, or maybe you will see it 25 years down the road in your iPhone 41 as you empty your phone storage while riding your self-driving car flying through the air, but regardless, time passes. Yet, despite eternity, Jesus is the same, yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Why don’t we live on in faith to join Him in eternity?

Eternal Questions to Think About:

1. What do I look forward to in eternity?

2. What are some things you regard as eternally consequential but are actually not so? How do you plan to restructure your life to prioritise these things less? 

3. Heaven is not constrained by space. Who comes to mind when you think of wanting to spend forever with? If they are not yet believers, how do you plan to bring the Gospel to them? If they are in the faith, how do you plan to continually strengthen one another so you might spend eternity with them?

4. Heaven promises eternal singing, praise to God, and fellowship with one another, among many other blessings. Do we enjoy these things now? If not, how can we change our perspectives to treasure them?