I just finished reading Imagine Heaven: Near-Death Experiences, God’s Promises, and the Exhilarating Future That Awaits You, by John Burke. Although I read a variety of different types of books and perspectives, this is not a book I would have chosen for myself. I am wary of putting too much trust in any type of visionary accounts. I read this because my brother gave it to me, and because I have a dear, trustworthy friend who died and was resuscitated on the operating table and reported seeing heaven. I also felt the Spirit’s prompting to consider whether this book would be helpful to doubting friends.
John Burke is a Christian. He makes multiple disclaimers about writing from the accounts of people who have had near-death experiences, given that he already believes in God, in Jesus Christ, and in heaven. He surveyed many accounts and summarizes the commonalities in many of the accounts, not only among those he read, but those written about in books by other authors. He chooses accounts for his book predominantly from children, because they have less biblical knowledge with which to construct or fabricate their account, and from people with no monetary motivation for giving their reports. He also includes some accounts from other countries and persons of different religions, which notably share the same commonalities.
Some of the commonalities of these experiences, whether for children, non-Christians or Christians, include out-of-body experience, encountering mystical or brilliant light, meeting deceased relatives and friends, a life review, seeing heavenly realms and beings, and intense and often positive emotions (Burke, page 46). It is also common not to want to return, but to be involved in the decision to return, with a sense of new purpose.
My friend who had a near-death experience is also a Christian. She saw that heaven was a place of warm blessing beyond anything she knew here and she did not want to return. When she awoke from surgery she was initially disappointed. She has two chronic illnesses, Lupus and Parkinson’s. Her life has been joyful and purposeful but also challenging. Recently her diagnosis has worsened (Lewy Body Disease, which sometimes accompanies Parkinson’s) and her expected lifespan has shortened dramatically. Her world and her productivity have shrunk and she wonders often how she will be able to serve and glorify God to the end given her illness. She is pondering the ways in which God means for her to spend her time in light of her limitations. The most meaningful and life-giving activities include dwelling on Christ, His Word, and discussing Him with others. She is soaking in Scripture, knowing that as her mind deteriorates, God may choose to bring His Word to her in mysterious ways for comfort and stability. The other activity that brings calm and joy is being outside in God’s creation. She can’t drive, but she can still walk and enjoy the seasons and the beauty of what God has made. She is finding a feast for her soul in these activities and believes that they are training her for what is to come here on earth, while preparing her for eternity. Rather than dwell on her broken brain and body, she is focused on getting to better know the Savior she will be with face to face, and enjoying the proof of His attributes, many of which are found in His world. Perhaps because my friend has had to grapple with suffering and whether God has been good to her since well before her near-death experience, she has lived with uncommon clarity and purpose for a long time. Through struggle, she settled in her heart in her 20’s, when she was diagnosed with Lupus, that God is good. Because of this, she has wavered very little with each additional trial. She has been a testimony and encouragement to me steadily over the years, and as I read Burke’s book, I came back again and again to her life story. She is a real life hero and anchor for my faith. She has reckoned with her mortality and purposed to spend her days doing good guided by God’s word.
Burke shows the correlation between near-death experiences and the prophecies of the Bible regarding God, heaven, and judgment. The experiences testify to God’s existence, his love, his desire for people to be saved and spend eternity with him. A number of the experiences were surprising to those who returned to recount them, particularly because of the emphasis, not on high-status accomplishments, but on how living in love for others is God’s priority for his people. Burke summarizes from the accounts people share of their “life review:”
“The world tells us money matters, power matters, prestige matters – and we drive ourselves crazy trying to prove to one another that we’re successful enough, important enough, powerful enough; yet in the end it’s relationship that truly matters. How ironic that in trying to prove we are worthy of love through accomplishments, we could miss accepting God’s love and sharing it with those around us–and in the end, that matters most for true success! Everybody wants to change the world; nobody wants to love their neighbor! Yet all God needs us to do to change the world is to love God so we can love our neighbor as much as ourselves. We may accomplish big things in the world’s eyes, build huge corporations, lead sweeping political change, or even lead large nonprofits or churches in God’s name–and that can all be good. But if we fail to love our families, our neighbors, our co-workers, and those in need whom God puts in our path, we’ve failed in the primary task God’s given us.“ (246-247)
Conversations with my friend and reading Burke’s book have increased my clarity about my life purpose. They have also increased my faith and hope that for those of us who love God and accept his gift of salvation in Jesus Christ a wonderful future is our destiny. I am convicted by how infrequently that future hope brightens my attitude in the here and now, and how I must bring eternity more into my daily focus. I am also convicted of the need to make that known as I go about my regular life. One small way I am considering is in my personal fitness routines. As I continue to exercise and eat healthfully, I think about maintaining my capacity to serve God and neighbor with my appointed days, rather than falling into a fear of death. I know that I cannot add a single day to my lifespan. But even if my health fails and I spend more days than I would like needing to be served rather than helping others, may God enable me and all of us to testify to his greatness and love. May he enable us to impart a biblical vision of the lasting home he has prepared for us, the value of love and service and the mercy of God who is inviting us all to know him.