What happens when we die?

I’m realizing today that we aren’t meant to live here on earth forever. But we are meant to see, know and demonstrate the kingdom of God here and now. All of the things pertaining to heaven can be experienced here and now – abundance, vitality, health, harmony, love, affection, home, companionship.

Mary Baker Eddy writes in her book Miscellaneous Writings (which can be purchased here) “Pure humanity, friendship, home, the interchange of love, bring to earth a foretaste of heaven. They unite terrestrial and celestial joys, and crown them with blessings infinite.”

The kingdom of heaven is here and now and when we are governed by God, by our spiritual sense, we will experience this heaven here and now (spiritual sense counteracts the material senses). But that doesn’t mean we stay on earth forever. Jesus, Elijah, Enoch are all recorded to have ascended. Others move on to another phase of existence through what mortals term death. But “to the real man the and the real universe there is no death-process.” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures) Eddy also states “Death is not a stepping-stone to Life, immortality and bliss”.

Jesus said “As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom that has sent”. (John 17:2-3) And “He that believeth on me hath everlasting life”. (John 6:47)

Therefore we can be free from the belief in death here and now by knowing that life is eternal for us and everyone. And that death is not a gateway to eternal harmony, but that heaven and harmony can be demonstrated here and now since “In him we live and move and have our being”.

God sees and knows life as seamless, continuous since God is the only Life and is never interrupted. It is only to mortal apprehension that we seem to live where good and evil both reside and when we die we then experience immortal bliss. This is an incorrect theological concept and is not in accord with Scripture. Death (which does not proceed from God) is not the gateway to harmony. Harmony must be demonstrated here and now for the Kingdom of Heaven is within you.

“And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, the kingdom of God cometh not with observation; Neither shall they say Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:20-21)

So let us experience and demonstrate the allness of Spirit, God, and the kingdom of heaven here and now. We don’t have to wait. And we must annihilate the belief that death will bring us into more spiritual being. This prevents us from doing our work right now and being loyal and faithful today. This truth “will master either a desire to die or a dread of the grave”.

For more reading on eternal life:

Unity of Good by Mary Baker Eddy p.37

Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy p. 289-292