Heaven is for Real - Book Review

A while back, based on requests of friends, I decided to add book reviews to my  blog.  I have since made it through 2 books: Interrupted by Jen Hatmaker and Heaven is For Real by Todd Burpo.  It's been a month since I have read them and I haven't really been able to organize or sort through my thoughts enough to review either one.  I haven't really had time to read anything else since then either.  I decided to start with the easier read of the two, but perhaps the more controversial of the two, Heaven is for Real.

If you are one of the few people that hasn't heard what the book is about, a young boy Colton Burpo has a ruptured appendix and has a near death experience in which he goes to heaven. Over the course of the next year(s), he begins to recount what he experienced in heaven: meeting a sister that his mom had miscarried, a great - grandfather that he did not know, sitting on the lap of Jesus (insisting that Jesus really, really loves the little children), that Jesus had markers in heaven (which turn out to be the red nail marks on his hands and feet), and that there is an end battle in which he saw his father fight.   He also claims that all pictures of Jesus do not accurately depict that kindness of Jesus' eyes, except for one other little girl's that has had a similar experience.

I will say, it's an easy and fascinating read. I guess the big question on whether or not I would recommend this book is do I believe it?  That's a tricky questions.  My mom told me I was skeptical, and she is right, I am.   I don't like to discount another person's experience and there are enough near death experiences that sound the same, that it could have happened.  On the other hand, the Lord through Scripture has left heaven somewhat of a mystery.  I do know that He has revealed what He wants us to know through His written word, the Bible: written by men, inspired by the Holy Spirit and that canon is closed.  I have a hard time believing that the Lord revealed more to a boy than He did to the ones who wrote the Scripture.

I know you are going to ask me, then how does he know what he knows - about the grandfather, the sister, etc? I don't know. Perhaps I don't have a childlike faith.  Perhaps he did see all of that.  I don't know.  I can't say.

my biggest concern of this book is what I have heard some people say, 'this givens me such hope for those I have lost, a child or otherwise' or 'wow what an awesome place that will be.'  While it does give a hope or a reassurance that we will see other believers again and that it is an incredible place, our hope should be found in nothing other than the person of Jesus Christ and that someday I will see  clearly face to face my Lord and my Savior.  My reassurance is found in no one other than Him. That's not an easy thing for me, as I desperately want my family (especially my children) in heaven, but that is the reality.

In the epilogue of the book, Colton states that what he wants people to know is that heaven is for real.  While that is great, to me, Heaven is For Real, because the Bible tells me so.