A few days ago, President Trump called into his favorite morning show, Fox and Friends, and declared, “I want to try to get to heaven, if possible. I’m hearing that I’m not doing well. I really hit the bottom of the totem pole. But if I can get to heaven, this will be one of the reasons.” Wanting to get to heaven is a laudable goal; however, as I understand these things, it takes a bit more than ending a war.
The desire to get to heaven is just the first step; confession, reconciliation, and change of life are what come after and are far more important than the desire.
Actions speak louder than words, and based on actions, Mr. Trump has a lot of work to do. Yes, I am judging him as I have a right to. I am a Christian pastor and theologian, so this is, as they say, in my wheelhouse. I deal with these questions all the time. To consider oneself a Christian, one must act like a Christian.
How does one act like a Christian? Turn to Matthew 25 for the answer. “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'” (vs 35-36) “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (vs 40).
The context of these verses is clear; we are to care for everyone without exception. Caring for people includes not making fun of people with disabilities or others, not cheating on your spouse, not lying, not cheating, not defrauding others, honoring all of humanity, not taking away or denying human rights, and the list goes on. All these “sins” can be forgiven if there is genuine confession, repentance, and a change of heart and direction.
Theologically, I am a Purgatorial Universalist. I believe that all humans will eventually be reconciled to God after undergoing a period of purification or cleansing, often referred to as purgation or purgatory, in the afterlife. God has an ultimate plan that all of humanity will be reconciled to God and that while there will be punishment for sin in the afterlife, this punishment is not eternal and serves a remedial or restorative purpose, akin to purgatory.
This is not a new theological position; Purgatorial Universalism has historical roots in early Christian thought, particularly among some Church Fathers like Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and Gregory of Nyssa. Fourth-century Christian theologian and bishop Diodorus of Tarsus wrote: “For the wicked there are punishments, not perpetual, however, lest the immortality prepared for them should be a disadvantage, but they are to be purified for a brief period according to the amount of malice in their works.”
In his book History of Opinions on the Scriptural Doctrine of Future Retribution, theologian Edward Beecher posits that in the first four centuries, there were six main theological schools, and only one of them advocated the idea of eternal Hell.
Part of the issue is translation. Most of the original theological works, including the New Testament, were written in Greek and as such, those of us who do not understand Ancient Greek must rely on translations. We are slaves to those who translated these works into English, and often, they got it wrong.
The Greek word αιών (aion – an epoch of time) gives rise to the idea of eternal Hell. Dr. Ken Vincent writes, “When it (aion) was translated into Latin Vulgate, aion became aeternam, which means ‘eternal’.” He also states that the first written record of the idea of an eternal hell comes from Tertullian, who wrote in Latin.
The second primary source for our present understanding of Hell comes from the 4th-century theologian Augustin of Hippo. According to author Steve Gregg, it was Tertullian’s writings, plus Augustine’s views and writings on eternal Hell, which “overwhelmed” the other opinions of a temporary hell. First, Augustine’s views of Hell were accepted in the early Latin Church; up until the Reformation, Augustine’s view of Hell as eternal was not questioned.
I did not come to this view easily, and it has taken me many years of contemplation and study to arrive here. For me, it was difficult to reconcile a loving God with the idea that this God would want anyone to suffer in eternal damnation. I do not believe in a get-out-of-jail card, but I also think that purgatory is a time of cleansing and is not punishment with everlasting fire. These were images concocted by the church to keep people in line.
If Mr. Trump wants to get to heaven, he can start by loving people and following the teachings of Jesus, the brown-skinned carpenter from Palestine. How we treat one another is what it is all about. Jesus gave us a new commandment: love God and love everyone else. Love, it’s all about love.
Mother Maria of Paris, whom I have quoted before, was a Russian Immigrant to France and an Orthodox Nun. She died on March 31, 1945, at the hands of the Nazis in the Ravensbrück concentration camp. She loved and, like Jesus, was executed for it. I will end this essay with my favorite and theologically sound quote for this great saint of our time.
“The way to God lies through love of people. At the Last Judgment I shall not be asked whether I was successful in my ascetic exercises, nor how many bows and prostrations I made. Instead I shall be asked did I feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and the prisoners. That is all I shall be asked. About every poor, hungry and imprisoned person the Savior says ‘I’: ‘I was hungry and thirsty, I was sick and in prison.’ To think that he puts an equal sign between himself and anyone in need…. I always knew it, but now it has somehow penetrated to my sinews. It fills me with awe.”
