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In Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church, N. T. Wright challenges us to rethink our notions of heaven and the implications of the doctrine of heaven for the entire Christian faith.

In Chapter Six Wright lays out the biblical answer to “What is God’s purpose for creation?” in contrast to the popular options explored in chapter five: evolutionary optimism (EO) and souls in transit (SIT).  In summary, Wright argues that the early Christians did not believe the world was getting better and better on its own steam (EO) or that it was getting worse and worse and their task was to escape it (SIT).  Instead, early Christians believed “that God was going to do for the whole cosmos was he had done for Jesus at Easter.”

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In Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church, N. T. Wright challenges us to rethink our notions of heaven and the implications of the doctrine of heaven for the entire Christian faith.

In Chapter Four Wright explores “the strange story of Easter.”  He begins by drawing attention to four “strange” features of the Gospels’ resurrection stories which compel us to take them as very early accounts rather than later inventions. 

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One thing I know for sure, LORD: your passion for people perseveres.

It was your passion for people that drove you to make humankind and build our cosmic-home in the first place.

It was your passion for people that compelled you choose and champion a nation who would bless all nations.

It is your passion for people that activates your giving me the food on my plate this morning.

We’ve stabbed you, scorned you, and saddened you.  At times we’ve given up on you.  We even tried to kill you.  But your love lingered.

One thing I know for sure, LORD: your passion for people perseveres.