Heaven Grows in Us

"Heaven is very close to us because heaven is related to a good life in much the same way that an acorn is related to an oak.  An acorn is bound to become an oak. He who does not have heaven in his heart now will never go to heaven, and he who has hell in his heart when he dies will go to hell.  We must not think that heaven is related to a good life in the same way a gold medal is related to study.  Because a gold medal need not follow study.  It is purely extrinsic to study.  Rather, heaven is related to a good and virtuous life in just the same way that knowledge is related to study.  One necessarily follows the other.  Hell is not related to an evil life in the same way that spanking is related to an act of disobedience.  Spanking need not follow an act of disobedience.  As a matter of fact, it rarely follows disobedience today.  Rather, it is related in the same way that corruption is related to death. One necessarily follows the other.  Therefore, heaven is not just a long way off; we are not to postpone it. It is here. That is to say, it begins here."