BALANCING HEAVEN AND EARTH

Many no doubt know the old saying, "He's so heavenly minded that he's no earthly good," and the opposite saying, "She's so earthly minded that she's no heavenly good." (no implications are meant by the pronoun use) I always assumed there must be a balance that was the most encompassing and was expressed by walking between heaven and earth. Even though I could never achieve that, I never thought it was impossible. But I am coming to realize that other factors are involved. And not just the other similar sayings like, "It's a little bit of heaven on earth," that usually refer to someplace where people are particularly moral and nice, or at least do their best to appear so. There's also the rather dramatic statement in which someone "would move heaven and earth" to get or accomplish something. In other words, they would do whatever it takes or would do the impossible if it were possible. Either way, it seems like a daunting task. 

I honestly don't understand the various expressions about heaven and earth trading places, being turned upside down, or I don't have to go to the heaven because I can see it in your eyes. (that last one was a bit of a stretch) I would think that there had to be extraordinary conditions for such a thing to occur. But if it's that everything is mixed up, good and bad are the same thing, and life and death occurs in all the wrong places for all the wrong reasons then I can see it being applied to war.

There are so many ways to understand heaven and earth. Literally, figuratively, spiritually, scientifically, and theologically are just a few. But when talking about heaven and earth, we usually assume the other person knows the way we're using them. I'm interested in the differences and details but even more as general concepts and realities. To me, earth is the physical creation, the cosmos and heaven is the spiritual creation and also the cosmos. They are two different orientations or realities that directly   make up our understanding and doing of life. The immaterial and material, the metaphysical and the physical, the tangible and intangible, the corporeal and the ethereal, the natural and the supernatural are all expressions of the difference between what can be touched with our hands and minds, and what can be touched with our hearts and minds. But further, I believe heaven and earth both reside within us to the point of making us walking paradoxes.

I am drawn to both and see part of heaven in earth and part of earth in heaven. But that doesn't help as much as you would think in finding a balance between the two if indeed that's the best place for me ...or anyone to be. I don't want my surgeon trying to find his balance until I wake up in the recovery room. When stopped for speeding by a cop and are about to get a ticket, do you ever ask, "Don't you think we ought to pray about this first?"

Likewise, there is a lot of beauty to be seen with your eyes, but there's also the beauty that you can only seen with your spirit. There's a lot of good that can be seen with the eyes, but then there's the good that can't be seen. Often times, you can sense it but at other times it may seem to be more than real. Some see a sense of power and eternality in the unseen.

Because we are so physical in the day to day routine, I think we too often forget to use our spiritual aspect more. I'm not sure the spiritual needs a similar care and feeding as some suggest. But there is something to taking time to focus on who you are as a spiritual person. We may never find the right balance but we will always need both. For me, they help me better see where there is good, where there is grace, and where there is gratitude in my own life.

Some see marked distinction between our spiritual desires (heaven) and our physical appetites (earth).  This has been a part of religious understanding for a long time and perhaps for good reasons. But you don't even have to go there. We don't live in some kind of utopia. There are many demands that have to be meant. Most spend a majority of their waking hours doing something physical or earthy. Let's face it, there are too many who are just trying to survive. I'm not saying that makes them less spiritual; I'm saying they are likely rather busy.

To some others, a balance of heaven and earth looks like a Thomas Kinkade painting. I think the painter of light makes you feel like all the things you don't like are gone leaving only what you do. Idealistic to be sure but immensely popular in it's sentimentality. But I can't disagree with the wishing or the longing.

Finding a sense of balance is certainly a part of feeling complete. But it comes in all sorts of colors, sizes, configurations and circumstances. Claims to superior physicality and superior spirituality fall very short, just as making any judgments based on appearance, success, position, education or talents do as well. How remarkable it is that God has reserved the right to be the only one who can read the scale of our lives.

CREDIT: MELANIE BEATTY, THOMAS KINKADE, CHUCK PALAHNUIK, LE LY HAYSLIP