The Five People You Meet in Heaven

Eddie and the Five People

Recently I read The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom, a sports columnist and writer of best-selling inspirational fiction. Many have enjoyed Tuesdays with Morrie or Have a Little Faith.

In this book Eddie is an elderly maintenance man at an amusement park. He dies in a mishap on one of the rides in his attempt to rescue the occupants of a malfunctioning car. He is ushered into heaven and begins a series of encounters with people who contacted him earlier in life for reasons not entirely understood at the time.

The writer is suggesting how connected all of our lives really are. He is also suggesting that experience in Heaven is somewhat tailor-made to the hopes and delights of the individual. This of course is mere wishful thinking. Heaven is not subjective. It is what it is, and God is in charge.

I will draw here from one incident. The second person Eddie meets is his former army Captain from the South Pacific. He had understood that the man had not made it through the war but he had not been aware of the circumstances. The Captain gives a comment on Heaven:

“Dying? Not the end of everything. We think it is. But what happens on earth is only the beginning.

I figure it’s like in the Bible, the Adam and Eve deal? Adam’s first night on earth? When he lays down to sleep? He thinks it’s all over, right? He doesn’t know what sleep is. His eyes are closing and he thinks he’s leaving the world right?

Only he isn’t. He wakes up the next morning and he has a fresh new world to work with, but he has something else too. He has his yesterday.

The way I see, that’s what we’re getting here, soldier. That’s what heaven is. You get to make sense of your yesterdays.”

For other comments see the link:

http://momentsmidstream.blogspot.ca/#!/2011/01/his-beloved-reb.html
Then simply enter search “reb”.

I am full. I have wept and laughed. I have just finished reading this book with some friends at the Seniors' residence. It is 9PM. They have kept right along with me over the weeks as we have journeyed together in this saga. And talked afterwards. Redeeming stuff!

The author Mitch Albom has hit the ball out of the park several times by now. but this one might still be the best. Who do you meet in heaven? Do they help solve the harboured pains and guilt? Do they show you undiscovered ways in which your life has held profound meaning and blessing for others? Can some old scores be settled? Are our loved ones truly with us - and forever?

Now, some of this is imagination, subjective and wishful thinking. But for the redeemed, yes, the redeemed, there is just such a guarantee! The wonderful reunion. For this one reason alone we must address the Book of Revelation and specifically the first 5 chapters and the last 3.

I pray that for Albom, the big-hearted, secular Jew, sportscaster there is just such a revelation of Jesus, and soon. He is so very close. But still the good is the enemy of the best...Doug

Sounds like an awesome read. It's on my list for the summer when I'm not in school and having to read all kinds of boring, academic stuff.

it's also available on dvd, seen it several times. jon voight portrays eddie in a superb job of acting! loved this movie, it leaves a lasting impression.

Lora, boring academic stuff is good for you. It's like Tom Sawyer and fence painting. Shows that you're teachable. Keeps you teachable. The lack of that attribute mummifies the Church.

Yossayman, been there before Sister. Seen it all.

No you haven't. No I haven't.

(Oh, and by the way, the book is @190 pages. Move your agenda forward!)

Doug

Oh, believe me, I know. Otherwise, I wouldn't be going into thousands of dollars in debt to get a master's degree . Many things that are good for us are unpleasant: broccoli, spinach, fruit cake...

you named all of my favorite foods!

I had you in mind when I named them

the strongest medicine is quite often the hardest to swallow.

Perched upon the overhang of the office tower Batman observes the wake-up motions of Gotham City....

What was that? Oh, excuse me, just an image. And you guys already at the keyboard.

Now, about diets and strong medicine, consider the following link (absolutely nothing to do with Mitch Albom):

https://youtu.be/lGMG_PVaJoI